World Aids Day December 1

World AIDS Day on December 1 is an opportunity for people and organizations worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for those living with the disease and commemorate friends and loved ones who have lost the battle.

It is estimated that about 34 million people are living with HIV and every 18 seconds someone in the world dies of an AIDS related death. Despite progress in slowing the spread of the virus, many of those infected don’t even know they are carriers. The Red Cross is engaged in the global fight against this disease, working to reduce transmission and to support those living with it.

Doan Thi Khuyen was infected in 2003 by her husband and was unaware of his HIV positive status or his drug use. As a result, she was devastated when she found out that both she and her 4 month old son were infected.

But Doan decided not to be a victim of this disease and instead formed a support group for others who had been diagnosed and stigmatized. Now, with the support of the Red Cross, she is a peer counselor educating others about disease prevention and ensuring those suffering from the disease in her community have access to resources such as home health care.

Into the Light is an intimate look at the impact that Red Cross HIV awareness and counseling programs are having in Vietnam and Cambodia. HIV is becoming an ever increasing struggle for people in Asia and in many countries repressive laws fuel the transmission of HIV by denying drug users and others access to health and social services.

While many advances have been made in HIV treatment and laws protecting those diagnosed with the disease, stigma and discrimination still remain a reality for many people living with HIV. Last year, the American Red Cross reached 335,000 people across the world with increased access to health care, support groups, prevention education and stigma reduction programs.

World AIDS Day reminds the public and governments that HIV has not gone away, that there is still a vital need to raise money, increase awareness, fight prejudice and improve education.

Help A Young Person By Giving the Gift of Babysitters Training

When a young person ages 11-15 needs money, babysitting is often their first job.Babysitter’s Training is a gift in this year’s American Red Cross Holiday Catalog and provides the knowledge and skills, and builds the confidence necessary to safely and responsibly give care to children and infants. This one-day class teaches basic child care, basic first aid and infant CPR.

Babysitter’s Training has been newly revised by the American Red Cross with input from youth. The course is fun and fast-paced with hands-on activities, exciting video, role-plays and lively discussions.

Students learn how to—

• Supervise children and infants.
• Perform basic child-care skills such as diapering and feeding.
• Choose safe, age-appropriate games and toys.
• Handle bedtime and discipline issues.
• Identify safety hazards and prevent injuries.
• Care for common injuries and emergencies such as choking, burns, cuts and bee stings.
• Communicate effectively with parents.
• Find and interview for babysitting jobs

A 2012 Red Cross poll found that parents want to entrust their children to babysitters trained in first aid, CPR and childcare. More than 80 percent of parents believe that teenage babysitters should be paid more if they have these skills. And parents say that good babysitters are hard to find. In fact, roughly one third of parents had rejected a sitter because of safety concerns, and more than half had ended up staying home because they could not find a babysitter.

There is a market for well-trained teen babysitters, and most parents believe teenage babysitters with childcare training should be paid more. Your gift of Infant CPR and Babysitting Classes will provide an underprivileged youth with the confidence to make smart decisions and stay safe in any babysitting situation, and the credentials to be the best babysitter on the block. To take a class visit www.redcross.org/swny or call 1800-REDCROSS.

Genesee Valley Students Collect for Sandy

Miss Burger and Mr. Oldham’s Sixth graders from Genesee Valley Central School collected over $680 for Hurricane Sandy Relief. Members of the Student Council Emily Daciw, Madison Herdman, Hunter Jones, and Ethan Weston went classroom to classroom on November 2^nd-just days after Hurricane Sandy- to do their part to help New York City and New Jersey.

“I had family in New Jersey that had their house wiped out by the storm,” said Emily, “I wanted to help all I could.”

The students took turns in pairs walking around the school and collecting donations from teachers, students and staff to raise $684.58.The donation will go directly to the relief efforts that could be used to help purchase food and items needed in shelters  and cleaning up the areas affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Front Row: Genesee Valley Students Emily Daciw, Madison Herdman, Hunter Jones, and Ethan Weston (not pictured) hold comfort kits and food that could be used in a shelter in NY and NJ. Back row: Darlene Wells; American Red Cross of Southwestern NY– Allegany County District Manager and Erin Cornell; American Red Cross of Southwestern NY- Communications Coordinator

Happy Thanksgiving, Travel Safe

Many people will travel to visit loved ones for the Thanksgiving holiday and the American Red Cross has travel tips holiday travelers can follow to arrive safely at their destination.

Most holiday travelers get to where they are going by car. To arrive safely, the Red Cross recommends these safety steps for travelers who will drive to visit their loved ones this Thanksgiving:

· Make sure the vehicle is in good working order.

· Start out with a full tank of gas, check the tire air pressure and make sure the windshield fluid is full.

· Buckle up, slow down and don’t drive impaired. Designate a driver who won’t drink.

· Be well rested and alert.

· Use caution in work zones.

· Give one’s full attention to the road. Avoid distractions such as cell phones.

· Observe speed limits – driving too fast or too slow can increase the chance of being in a collision.

· Make frequent stops. During long trips, rotate drivers. If the driver is tired, stop and get some rest.

· Be respectful of other motorists and follow the rules of the road.

· Don’t follow another vehicle too closely.

· Clean the vehicle’s headlights, taillights, signal lights and windows.

· Turn the headlights on as dusk approaches, or if using windshield wipers due to inclement weather.

· Don’t overdrive the headlights.

· If car trouble develops, pull off the road as far as possible.

It’s also recommended to keep an emergency preparedness kit in the vehicle. Useful items include water, snacks, a flashlight, first aid kit, extra cash and blankets. Red Cross Emergency Preparedness kits are available in the Red Cross Store.

For people traveling by air, bus or train, the Red Cross reminds them that the seasonal flu can occur as early as October. If people have come in contact with someone who is sick, perhaps the trip should be postponed as they may be contagious for a week before symptoms appear.

Other safety tips to avoid the flu while traveling include the following:

· Remember that everything someone touches has to be touched by someone else – luggage handlers, etc. Handle one’s own belongings as much as possible. Wash hands often with soap and water.

· Carry hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial wipes and use them to wash hands or wipe down surfaces such as armrests.

· Bring one’s own pillows and blankets – they can act as a shield against the seat itself.

· If someone has to cough or sneeze, do so into a tissue or sleeve.

· Avoid touching the face or eyes.

For more information on how to remain safe while traveling this Thanksgiving, visit the Red Cross web site.

Red Will Continue to Help As Long as Needed

The lights are coming back on for many people whose neighborhoods were slammed by Superstorm Sandy, but millions of people still need assistance rebuilding their lives after the storm.
“We recognize that many people affected by Sandy still need our help –a safe place to stay and a warm meal to eat - and we haven’t forgotten them,” said Charley Shimanski, senior vice president of Disaster Services for the Red Cross. “Our focus is on serving those in need.”

The Red Cross still has shelters open for people unable to return home and an extensive feeding operation in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention is ongoing. Tuesday night about 2,700 people stayed in shelters. Since Sandy made landfall, responding organizations have provided more than 139,000 shelter stays. The Red Cross has provided 73,000 of those stays and served 5.6 million meals and snacks since Sandy made landfall.

More than 5,800 Red Cross workers are supporting this massive relief operation; 90 percent of them volunteers. Most of the Red Cross emergency fleet – more than 300 vehicles – are mobilized and Red Cross volunteers are also driving through neighborhoods to hand out water, food and relief supplies. We also have rental cars, trucks and other vehicles helping get assistance to where it is needed. Visit http://newsroom.redcross.org for more information.

The Red Cross has also provided more than 57,000 health services and emotional support contacts, and distributed more than 1.7 million relief items.

“People will need help for weeks to come, and the Red Cross will be there,” Shimanski said.

Red Cross Opens Shelter for Victims following an Apartment explosion

At approximately 9:30pm Sunday, November 11, 2012 volunteers from the American Red Cross of Southwestern New York volunteers opened a shelter at Alfred State College following an apartment explosion in Alfred, NY at the request of emergency managers from Alleghany County. The shelter will remain open through the night to accommodate residents of the Rose Apartment Building. The Red Cross will continue to provide the victims with temporary shelter, food and clothing, and will work with the families to provide support during their recovery process.

All disaster assistance offered by the American Red Cross is complementary and made possible by generous contributions from the American people and residents of Allegany County. The United Way organization of Allegany County also provides financial support to the local Red Cross mission.

News From the Front Lines of Hurricane Sandy

From Chautauqua to Suffolk, the Red Cross Responds

The American Red Cross has joined with national and state partners to undertake a massive response to Hurricane Sandy, with a mission to prevent further human suffering and to alleviate any suffering that is still occurring.  For the Southwestern New York Chapter this response began the Wednesday prior to the storm, when we began coordinating with local government and community partners to prepare shelters in the event that flooding should occur anywhere in the north, central, or southern parts of our county.  We identified 10 standby shelters, alerted our local volunteers, and pre-positioned equipment.  On the night of the storm we opened and staffed a shelter at Silver Creek Central School as the creek began to rise.  Local volunteers Charlie Meder, Mary Walker, Patty Hartinger, Jeanie Shiffer, and Fran Heath were on hand throughout the night to provide shelter, food, and other support to anyone who might need it.  Fortunately, no evacuations were required and, locally at least, we began to breathe a sigh of relief.

By the next day, however, we had begun to see the impact of this storm on the coast.  The mobilization and deployment of our volunteers, which had begun before the storm, kicked into high gear again.  Our local and regional Chapter organizations worked tirelessly to move over 30 volunteers from Western New York (11 from right here in SWNY) to the affected areas.  I was one of those who volunteered to help, and was immediately told to depart for the Greater New York area.  By the afternoon of November 1^st I found myself hard at work in a shelter in Deer Park, Long Island, where we had over 120 clients residing.  I spent six days there, and then moved with our clients and staff to a larger shelter about 20 miles away.  This shelter now has nearly 200 clients and the staff members required to support them, and we are also providing meals, snacks, water and other drinks, health services, and mental health services to those affected, many of whom have lost everything.

The stories our clients tell are all different, yet in some ways they are all the same.  They all involve loss; in some cases the loss of cherished routines and a sense of security, in others the loss of all material possessions and any sense of connection to the community, or even to the world.  The best thing that we as Red Cross volunteers do is listen to people, hear their stories, talk to them, provide what additional support we can, and in the end, just lend a shoulder to lean on.

Getting supplies, meals, and water to those affected by this storm is the top priority, and the numbers tell an amazing story about this effort.  As of November 8^th we have deployed 5800 trained Red Cross disaster responders to operations from Virginia to Rhode Island, with the majority in Greater New York and New Jersey.  We have provided over 61,000 overnight stays in more than 250 shelters, served over 3.3 million meals and snacks, and distributed more than 124,000 clean-up kits and hygiene kits.  Your help is urgently needed to ensure we can continue our relief efforts.  If you can, I ask that you do just two things:

1.  Donate money to your local Chapter (325 East Fourth Street, Jamestown, NY), or to www.redcross.org, or to 1-800-redcross, or text the word “redcross” to 90999.  Your money will support our disaster relief operations, both locally and during national response events.

2.  Donate blood.  Hurricane Sandy has caused the cancellation of hundreds of blood drives throughout the northeast, and this has had an impact on our national blood supply.  Whether it is here in Chautauqua County, at your grandchild’s college in the Midwest, or at your favorite vacation spot in the South, you never know when you may need Red Cross blood should you or your loved ones encounter a medical emergency.  Help us keep the nation’s blood supply at the required levels by donating today.  To find the nearest blood drive, please call us at 664-5115, or go to www.redcross.org and click on “give blood.”

Bill Tucker is the Executive Director of the American Red Cross of Southwestern New York, a trained Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT) volunteer, and a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) instructor.  He deployed to the Greater New York area on October 31^st as part of the Hurricane Sandy relief effort, and is currently working in a mass care shelter in the Greater New York area.