Youth Programs return to Louisville Area Chapter

We are excited to announce the re-boot of a chapter Youth Program for volunteers ages 12-17. Youth volunteers will now have the opportunity to get involved with the Red Cross in one of three ways: volunteer individually, join a Red Cross Club or partner with the Red Cross through a separate group or club (e.g. Girl Scouts, Civil Air Patrol).

Leading the chapter program is Youth Coordinator Kristen Lawrence. Kristen is a Louisville native who graduated from the University of Louisville with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. Before coming to the Red Cross, she worked with the YMCA Youth Achievers and the Louisville Youth Advocates, a group that petitions for policy change in west Louisville neighborhoods.

Having both participated in and led community groups such as the YMCA Leader’s Club and Black Achievers, Kristen is familiar with effective youth programs and understands what draws youth to participate in clubs—things like hands-on experience, networking opportunities and making friends.

“A lot of [youth] genuinely want to make a difference—not just for the name, but because they want to do something good,” said Kristen.

Currently, Kristen is meeting with youth coordinators throughout the Louisville region to collect ideas and best practices. Once the Louisville Area Chapter program is fully up and running, she hopes to collaborate with other groups to develop a region-wide event or initiative.

At this time, the program is in its recruiting phase. Once registered, new volunteers attend a youth volunteer orientation where they learn the history of the Red Cross, participate in games and learn about volunteer opportunities. If you know someone between the ages of 12 and 17 that is interested in becoming a Red Cross youth volunteer, please contact Kristen at (502) 561-3608 or e-mail kristen.lawrence@redcross.org.

Disaster Tested, Mother Approved

Growing up my mother was a preparedness guru in her own right. She always had drinks and snacks prepared for long road trips, she kept a back pack of first aid materials in each vehicle along with three or four blankets, she carried a tube of Neosporin and Q-tips in her purse along with a bottle of Tylenol, and perhaps most importantly, she always stocked up on plenty of canned food.

Every time we made it to the grocery store (usually once a month) my mom would buy bulk canned corn, green beans, soups, chilies and fruits along with other packaged snacks. While it was just as much about price and convenience as preparedness, I know that had we become somehow trapped in our house by a snowstorm (happened once for a week) or the power went out along with our electric stove (happened too many times to count) we would have something to eat.

While I don't buy BULK canned goods, I still make sure I have a few around just in case, especially for that night when I just can't bring myself to fire up the stove.

With that said, I'd like to take this post to honor the canned good. Happy 200th Birthday, and here's to many more!

Denver Post: Canning food turns 200 years old

Last Chance

Today is the last day to support your local Red Cross at Tumbleweed Tuesday! Don't miss out on a great opportunity to have fun and give back. Print off the coupon above, present it to your server, and 10% of you bill will be donated to the Louisville Area Chapter. What better excuse for a night out?

Appetizing Appetizer

First off, I would like to apologize for the blurriness. The camera was being a bit temperamental in the dark lighting, but I suppose it just adds to the mystery .... This photo is your first "An Oldham County Dining Adventure" clue. Check back on Monday for a soup-er tip off on your second course.

Disaster Kit friendly foods

So, I am absolutely addicted to Yahoo! Articles, especially the ones that can save you money and calories, but check out this one that could save your life during a disaster.

The top foods you should keep in case of an emergency

The list includes commonly known items, but a few may surprise you. Oh, and as our community disaster educators know well, when you are compiling food for your disaster kit, don’t forget the can opener!

For a full list of items you should include in a disaster kit go to www.redcross.org.

Introducing Chef Railey

Chef John Railey

Executive Chef at Glen Oaks Country Club
Sullivan University alumni

Railey began his career in cooking 16 years ago in the military, but he also has experience in canned goods, Ramen noodles and other common pantry items having experimented with them as a kid.

Chef Railey on creating the menu for "An Oldham County Dining Adventure":

I’m definitely not afraid to get into the canned goods and potted meats. My dad was a military man as well for 36, 37 years. When I was a kid, he would come home from summer camp with the canned meats, so it was always fun to come home and get rewarded with the leftovers he brought back. We always played with the things that he had. With the military it was always mystery meat, so you sit there and play with whatever was in the package. It may say SPAM, but when you opened it up, it was something green. You don’t know if it had sat there or if it was a vegetable, but you would always make the most of it, and you made a meal out of it.

Even when I was on my own and trying to make ends meet, I can remember one of my first meals of Ramen noodles I thought was so awesome—I melted cheese in it. And I thought I was really cooking then, with Ramen noodles and melted cheese, but I really kicked that up a notch.

I want the challenge to show people that what they have in their pantries they can make a meal out of, and be just as tasteful as going out and spending 30, 40 dollars for a family or for other groceries to bring into the house. I look at this to be fun as well as an educational experience for the individuals that are going to attend the fundraiser.

Be on the lookout for menu hints as we get closer to the event date.

LAC responds to Pike County flooding

Volunteers Robert and Kenny prepare for the drive to Pike County in our emergency response vehicle.

Local Red Cross staff and volunteers have been deployed to Pike County where flooding damaged many homes over the weekend. Currently our 13 Red Cross workers are aiding the Big Sandy Red Cross as they conduct damage assessment and distribute emergency relief items such as water, clean-up kits, first aid kits and comfort kits.

Red Cross workers are also working with community partners to distribute food to affected residents using Red Cross emergency response vehicles, two of which were sent by the Louisville Area Chapter.

One Red Cross shelter is currently open at Pike Central High School where an average of 25 residents have stayed while recovering from the disaster.

Stay tuned to our blog for more information on how the Louisville Area Chapter is assisting those affected by the Pike County Floods and for information on how you can prepare for floods and other disasters.

No home is too small . . .

Imagine living in a house that comes with all the basics: a bathroom, a bedroom, a kitchen; it even has room for a bookshelf. This may not seem unusual, unless of course you consider that the house is only 89-square feet.

Owner and builder, Jay Shafer, chose to minimize his stress by minimizing his space. I doubt anything goes on in Jay's house that he doesn't know about, including a fire, but it's still important to have escape routes planned. You know, just in case.

Keep the following tips in mind when creating your own emergency escape plan:

• Plan two escape routes from each room.
• Make sure your plan includes all floors and rooms including garage, stairways and elevators.
• Know the location of fire extinguishers and utility cut off points.
• Decide on a meeting place for all members of your household to gather during an emergency evacuation. Make sure EVERYONE knows where it is.
• Practice your emergency evacuation twice a year with all household members.

For more tips on disaster preparedness, visit www.redcross.org.

Supporting our Armed Forces

Flemister (top, right) with call center staff and volunteers.

Last Friday, members of the Louisville Area Chapter's Community Emergency Services received a surprise visit from a military member recently assisted by LAC volunteer Nicholas Johnson. Staff Sergeant Anthony Flemister said he was able to return home for a family emergency in less than 72 hours with help from the LAC call center. Currently, Flemister is on active duty on Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. This is the second time he has been helped by the hardworking members of our Red Cross services to the armed forces.

Red Cross services to the armed forces assists military members and their families during emergencies. Last year the LAC call center assisted more than 160,000 military families across the United States and over 1,200 in the Louisville area.

Blood+Donation=Saving Lives

Help others like Danny by donating blood today! Stop by the WHAS11 Health and Fitness Expo July 9th and 10th. While there, you can donate blood and visit with our Disaster and Health and Safety departments about training opportunities with the Red Cross.

The Expo is from 10am-5pm both July 9th and 10th at the Kentucky International Convention Center in downtown Louisville.

It's Better to Give than Receive

The older I get, the more those early lessons my parents taught me prove to be true. One such lesson is that it is better to give than receive and it's always appropriate during the hectic holiday months.

It really hit home for me when I volunteered at the Louisville Red Cross and Louisville Professional Firefighters Union Local 345 23^rd Annual Holiday Party on December 16. We got the opportunity to give a little bit of holiday cheer to over 300 Kentuckiana children who lost their belongings to home fires in the past year.

Being witness to that many young people getting to visit with Santa and not go home empty handed was quite a delight. However, the smile on faces of their parents and guardians was equally rewarding.

I had the privilege of speaking with Shawn, who takes care of her two grandchildren. She told me that they lost just about everything to a fire a few months ago. Thankfully, the family is getting back on its feet and Shawn had high praise for the Red Cross, an organization that until recently, she thought was just for donating blood. Our local chapter responds to about 25 home fires every month and provides victims with assistance for food, clothing, prescription medications, temporary shelter and other special needs a family may have. Shawn referred to the volunteer that helped her family as their "little angel." What was really moving was that Shawn, who didn't consider herself the "volunteer type," was so taken by her experience with the Red Cross that she now volunteers at her local animal shelter.

It truly is better to give than receive.