American Red Cross Youth

Red Cross Celebrates Armed Forces Week

Red Cross Youth — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:37:13 +0000

Although Armed Forces Week is a modern-day celebration, the relationship between the American Red Cross and the U.S. military stretches back more than a century.

Clara Barton’s work during the Civil War, including helping wounded soldiers write letters to loved ones back home, forever linked the Red Cross with our country’s armed forces. The spirit of Barton’s work lives on through what is now Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces (SAF).

The American Red Cross has provided help and support to troops and their families during every major conflict of the past century, including both world wars, the Vietnam War and present-day operations in Afghanistan.

Red Cross SAF workers are present at more than 50 military installations around the world, including in forward-deployed locations. Through these military installations and the network of Red Cross chapters across the country, the Red Cross works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to relay emergency messages to deployed service members, including those in remote locations and on ships at sea.

Red Cross staff also provide support at military and veterans hospitals. Red Cross volunteer teams meet wounded troops as they arrive and are there to provide information, comfort items and food for patients and their families. These volunteers visit wounded, ill or injured patients throughout their stay to deliver items such as toiletries, quilts, phone cards, books and computer games.

In light of the increased pressure on military families due to repeat deployments, the Red Cross has also developed programs to better serve families’ needs. Free courses, including Coping With Deployments and the Reconnection Workshops, were designed to address the challenges that troops and their loved ones face during and after deployment.

If you’d like to support the work of the Red Cross with our nation’s military, read how you can help.

This article came from redcross.org

Survey Shows Parents Struggling to find Trusted Babysitters and Would Pay More for Well-Trained Teens

Red Cross Youth — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:51:29 +0000

Parents say that good babysitters are hard to find, according to a new American Red Cross poll.

The Red Cross poll found that in the past 24 months, 55 percent of parents surveyed decided to stay home because they couldn’t find a babysitter. The survey also found that nearly a third (30 percent) of parents rejected a potential babysitter because of safety concerns.

Parents want to entrust their children to babysitters trained in first aid, CPR and childcare skills, and more than 80 percent of parents believe that teenage babysitters should be paid more if they have these skills. However, eight in 10 parents (83 percent) have looked to adult relatives, while nearly half (48 percent) have relied on adult friends to watch their children.

“Parents want recommended sitters who have childcare training and CPR certification” said Tener Goodwin Veenema PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, a member of the Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council. “As a mother of four, I know that there is more to choosing a babysitter than price or availability. The safety and welfare of our children is first and foremost.”

About half (51 percent) of Americans rely on unpaid babysitters, and nearly a quarter (24 percent) pay between $6 and $10 an hour for someone to watch their children. Ten percent pay between $11 and $15 an hour; while four percent pay between $16 and $20 an hour, making babysitting a potentially lucrative option for qualified teenagers.

A majority of parents believe sitters should be paid more if they are trained to help a child who is choking, recognize potential emergency situations, identify items that could be hazardous to small children, and give first aid for minor cuts and bruises. More than three in four (77 percent) of parents with children younger than 17 feel teenagers should receive some training before they begin babysitting.

The Red Cross babysitting, CPR and first aid courses teach teens how to care for young children and handle emergency situations. The American Red Cross babysitting certification course gives youth the knowledge and confidence to care for infants and school-aged children. Adults can also boost their babysitting skills by enrolling in CPR and First Aid courses. To learn more about Red Cross training courses, please visit redcross.org.

(This story was taken from redcross.org).

World Red Cross Day

Red Cross Youth — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:30:25 +0000

Today is WORLD RED CROSS DAY!!! Events all around the world will be happening in honor of the organization.

Is your club doing anything for Red Cross Day? Then send us your pictures and a brief caption of your club at YouthInvolvement@redcross.org and we can post it in our gallery!

~Sarah White

National Youth Council Member

Red, White, and YOU Blood Drive – Central Plains Region

Red Cross Youth — Mon, 07 May 2012 06:47:13 +0000

The Fourth of July holiday is traditionally one of the most difficult times of year for blood centers. In an effort to combat the predicted decrease in donations, the American Red Cross Blood Services – Central Plains Region is hosting the Red, White & You Community Blood Drive at the Sedgwick County Zoo during the Fourth of July weekend for the fifth straight year! Red, White & You (RWY) is the first blood drive in the history of the Central Plains Region to bring the entire Wichita community together at a special venue to donate blood. Wichita is joining the ranks of hundreds of communities throughout Kansas that frequently host successful community blood drives, allowing donors to give alongside their friends and family and then enjoy a fun day at the Sedgwick County Zoo. This drive brings in over 700 units of blood over the 3 day drive. The Red Cross has two branches that function separately, but work together to provide our ultimate goal – high quality, relevant services that help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Each service the Red Cross provides makes our community healthier, stronger or more prepared.

~ Saajan Bhakta

sbhakta.nyc@gmail.com

Spending the Summer at Headquarters

Red Cross Youth — Mon, 07 May 2012 06:44:20 +0000

I am very excited to be a summer intern at the National Headquarters of the American Red Cross this summer, working in the newly-created Humanitarian Services department under recently hired VP, Jim Starr. While I will be primarily working on gathering research regarding volunteerism and its trends around the nation, I will also have the chance to work on ongoing projects involving youth project development. There are a plethora of opportunities to work at NHQ (as we fondly call Headquarters), and I cannot wait to be surrounded by interns with experience far different than my own. This summer, I will get to experience—full-force—the thing that I have always loved most during my six-years’ time volunteering with the American Red Cross: the ability of volunteers to come together, combining their unique knowledge and experience to drive the Red Cross into the future with fresh, new ways to make the mission a part of everyday lives.

~Brie Stark
bcstark.nyc@gmail.com

Local Red Cross Youth Reaching Extraordinary Heights Through Volunteerism

Red Cross Youth — Mon, 07 May 2012 06:44:02 +0000

As Director of Youth and Young Adult Services for the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region, I get to work with some of the most talented youth volunteers and witness their volunteer journey with the Red Cross. 2 of my senior youth volunteers in particular have accomplished so much during their tenure as Presidents of their local Red Cross Youth Executive Board (E-Board) and have received numerous awards and recognition for their work. Their reward? College acceptance into a prestigious 8 year medical program at Brown University and receiving a $60,000 scholarship to attend Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television.

Heejae Yang began volunteering with the Red Cross as a freshman at Palisades Charter High School in Los Angeles. She joined the Red Cross Club at her school and participated in local events at the West LA Red Cross chapter office. Heejae became very active coordinating Safe Kids Trainings, Disaster Safety Puppet Shows, and fundraising for Measles Initiative. She was recognized by a local news station, KTLA 5, as a “Hero at Home” for her work in training over 1,500 children in earthquake and fire safety through our puppet show. As president of the West LA E-Board, Heejae continued to make a positive impact through mentoring several new youth volunteers and supporting 7 Red Cross clubs in her district. I was honored and proud to write a letter of recommendation for Heejae’s college applications and was thrilled when she accepted into Brown’s 8 year medical program. I know she will continue to exude her positive influences wherever she goes as she continues volunteering with the Red Cross.

Siena Oberman is one of the most creative youth volunteers I have ever encountered and has extreme initiative and personal drive. She started her volunteer journey with the Red Cross as a sophomore at Palos Verdes High School where she was instrumental in starting a Red Cross Club at her school. She was also a pioneer in creating a Youth Corps program at the South Bay Red Cross office and became President of the E-Board this past year expanding the youth program to support 5 Red Cross clubs in her district. She is extremely passionate about the Measles Initiative and is currently participating in the Wildfire Long Course Triathlon in a “Race for Life” campaign to raise $1,000 to vaccinate 1,000 children. This World Championship Ironman qualifier race includes a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and 13.1 mile run! Siena received the LA Region “2011 Outstanding Youth Volunteer Award” in recognition for her contribution to the Red Cross. She will be attending the LMU School of Film and Television through a full scholarship and has aspirations to continue volunteering throughout college.

I am humbled by the extraordinary accomplishments of these 2 youth volunteers as they have given me more inspiration to provide meaningful opportunities for youth to make an impact through Red Cross volunteer service. You can make a difference too!!! Learn how to get more involved, by visiting www.RedCrossYouth.org and share your Red Cross story!

Bee Kong

National Youth Council Advisor

bkong.nyc@gmail.com

World Red Cross Day- Next Tuesday

Red Cross Youth — Thu, 03 May 2012 06:12:50 +0000

Next Tuesday is World Red Cross Day! Show your support of the Red Cross by getting involved in your community! Send us pictures of your event at YouthInvolvement@redcross.org!

Applications due today!

Red Cross Youth — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:34:59 +0000

Applications due today!

National Youth Council Applications are due today! Make sure you turn them in by 11:59 EST!

Navin Applications are due today! Make sure you turn them in by 11:59 EST!

Be on the Cover of Seventeen Magazine! Contest ends today

Red Cross Youth — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 05:31:54 +0000

Seventeen Magazine is hosting its second-annual Pretty Amazing Contest, their search for a real girl cover star! One amazing girl will receive her own Seventeen cover shoot and an all expense paid trip to New York plus a $20,000 college scholarship from Neutrogena (double last year’s prize!) If you are interested in sending in a story for this amazing opportunity, visit Seventeen Magazine! The contest ends today so get your application in today.

Exploring Opportunities, Ignoring Boundaries

Red Cross Youth — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 02:34:12 +0000

The power behind having a vision is often underestimated among groups of all ages. But student leaders at Virginia Commonwealth University realized that “a vision is not just a picture of what could be; it is an appeal to our better selves, a call to become something more (Rosabeth Moss Kanter).” Such a vision to establish a student chapter of the American Red Cross at Virginia Commonwealth University was ironically conceived during a time when most students turn off any remnants of constructive thought in order to enjoy the warmth and sunlight of their summer days. Robin Kuriakose and Akash Patel, both sophomores at VCU, however kept their minds open as they enjoyed their summer with family and friends. By the end of the summer, a collaboration between these two students had resulted in a vision to initiate a novel organization that had never before existed at VCU.

After countless meetings and planning sessions, the organization was finally launched with the purpose of providing Red Cross services to the local community and students on the VCU campus. The goal is to help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies while advocating lifesaving skills and actions. But how could they stop there when the idea of having a vision, to become something more, was an innate quality instilled within each and every one of their members? It was this appeal to better themselves that inevitably led to the organization’s partnership with The Highland Support Project. This partnership would facilitate participation in a spring break study abroad opportunity to the Highlands of Guatemala in order to learn about the potential needs of another population.

The Highland Support Project operates with a mission to create transformational development models that foster agency with Highland Indigenous Communities of the Americas to address critical environmental, social, and economic issues. It specializes in creating synergistic programming initiatives that develop partnerships between indigenous communities and service organizations. The travel team this year consisted of eight members of the American Red Cross Student Organization at VCU, and six other VCU students. Aruna Anbazhagan, team leader and International Relations Chair for the American Red Cross at VCU, had specifically hoped to plan this year’s trip around objectives regarding a holistic approach to healthcare and global medicine. Students built stoves for indigenous families to prevent the onset of respiratory infections, organized basic health checkups to screen for risk of high blood pressure and/or diabetes, and educated the indigenous communities about various skin problems which remain prevalent in their areas. Most importantly, however, students became aware of the significance of sustainable programming, which serves to empower communities and cultivate agency in the long run. “Agency is the ability to act rather then being acted upon—the capability of imposing ones own vision on reality,” explains Ben Blevins, the founder of Highland Support Project. Dependency fostering programs rob a community of agency and that is why the Highland Support Project works to empower the indigenous communities of Guatemala.

Additionally, with the help of Highland Support Project, a visit to the local Guatemala Red Cross was planned in an attempt to foster an international relationship between the Red Cross in Guatemala and the student chapter at VCU. On arrival, Cruz Roja Guatemalteca not only welcomed and invited the group of VCU students to a tour of their facilities but also encouraged conversation and dialogue despite the language barrier. As Bianka Patel recalls “They willingly went out of their way to answer any questions we had and were very thorough with their explanations. They even brought out Raulito, their only practice mannequin, for us to see!”

As both groups exchanged ideas and current needs for their own organizations, a mutual understanding and cooperation emerged, as well as an agreement to keep in contact and to plan future endeavors in tandem. With the help and partnership of Highland Support Project, both Red Cross organizations will have the capability and resources to work together and reach out to the highlands of Guatemala into indigenous communities that remain in dire need of aid and relief. In fact, the Highland Support Project is currently working on an emergency preparedness initiative in hopes of fostering such relationships. “We’re now friends with Cruz Roja Guatemalteca on Facebook,” says Basil Mathews excitedly, treasurer for the VCU student organization, “it’s international relations at its finest.”

But still, these students seek to develop their vision even further and will pursue it wherever potential lies. Ultimately, the partnership of both organizations is based on the shared ideal of humanity—something which transcends all boundaries.