Hurricane Earl

As I walked into the office on my second day at the Red Cross, the last thing I was expecting to hear were the words “I’m getting deployed” come out of my supervisor’s mouth. I immediately thought the worst— Jackie was going to Afghanistan. Luckily for the both of us, my naïve instincts as a fresh intern were completely off track.

Jackie was actually getting deployed to Cape Cod to help with media control as Hurricane Earl approached. Not only was it Labor Day weekend but it was Jackie’s birthday on Friday. Of course, regardless of my cries about her birthday party getting cancelled, Jackie was overly excited to go on her first deployment at the Red Cross. When I asked her why she was so eager to finally receive a field position, Jackie told me "I love people and, sometimes, hardship brings out their best. They behave like neighbors. I always feel privileged when I get to see it."

Nancy Cygan is another Chicago Red Cross volunteer that was deployed for Hurricane Earl. She told me that she had her FSI handbook in hand and was ready to report the financial statistics on the hurricane relief.

As a newcomer to the Red Cross, I knew that the Chicago Chapter helped out with national and international disaster relief. But finding out that Jackie and Nancy were actually getting deployed to the East Coast was way beyond my expectations for a local chapter. It is incredible to watch all of the chapters across the United States bond together and provide support towards an event that is honestly still up in the air. Hurricanes are known for their unexpected nature. Earl could hit this weekend as a mild rain storm (hopefully) or it could end up displacing families. The point is, even in times of uncertainty, Red Cross chapters are always ready to lend a helping hand regardless of the location (or planned birthday parties).

Follow Jackie on twitter@your_mssunshine for updates.

For now, it looks like things are calm before the storm on the Cape. Hopefully Hurricane Earl will weaken by the time it reaches New England. Please keep Jackie, Nancy, Red Cross volunteers and all people who may be affected by this storm in your thoughts for the weekend!

Lauren Snyder is an intern at the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago

Chicago Red Cross joins forces with Chicago Sister Cities to aid Pakistan in their time of need.

It was a great day for the Red Cross. Two days ago I attended a Lahore Pakistan fundraising event hosted by Chicago Sister Cities. It was a great experience for me to see so many people from all over the world coming together to help a country in need. Governor Pat Quinn, and Senator Dick Durbin were two of the attendees of this event. Their emotional speeches truly inspired a lot of people to open their hearts and help those in need. I was truly honored to see these two political figures coming down to join in the effort to help Pakistan. The fundraiser was a huge success raising a grand total of $34,734 for Pakistan flooding disaster relief efforts. “We want to make sure that we rebuild the schools, rebuild the roads, and we help people who are in dire straits,” Illinois Governor Pat Quinn said. Senator Dick Durbin remarked, “When we hear of the need of someplace in the world like Pakistan we gather together as one family.” This is one of many huge steps in helping Pakistan recover from this terrible disaster. With a little help and generosity we can all make a difference. To date we’ve pledged $5 million to the relief efforts.
For more information about how the American Red Cross is helping in Pakistan visit
https://crossnet.redcross.org/

See how Red Cross is doing their part to help Pakistan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bSWid6-kHo

My Year of AmeriCorps Service

The past year has been amazing! When I walked through the doors at Headquarters on September 1st, 2009, I had no idea what was in store for me during my term of AmeriCorps service. I have come out of it a changed and stronger person. Through long hours, exhausting work and excellent supervision, I have grown into the person I am now.

It began with my supervisor, Jackie Dempsey, who supported, guided, listened and encouraged me and my AmeriCorps co-workers to accomplish what many people thought impossible. We taught American Red Cross safety classes in under-resourced areas without many of the materials that regular instructors had and with an almost non-existent budget. In addition, we performed extremely well while being paid below minimum wage.

After a whirlwind of training in the first three weeks of September, 2009, I was now an instructor of a variety of programs. I was now responsible for conducting outreach to set up classes, teaching the classes and completing all necessary documentation. This was difficult at times because people were less interested in taking a CPR class than they were interested in paying their bills. Even though I taught all classes for free, many people could not attend classes or simply did not show up. This made for a very humbling year. I was still able to interest plenty of people and taught many full classes.

Another aspect of the position was service projects. Individually and as a group, service projects were taken to new levels. A transitional living home named Grace House in Decatur, Illinois got renovated, children learned about all of our kid safety programs, Anixter Center had their courtyard revived with planters and plants, winter coats were donated, canned food was donated, comfort kits were made and many other lives were impacted.

In the end, close to 7,000 people were certified by AmeriCorps members in American Red Cross classes and over 35,000 people were taught in non-certification classes. I know I have changed tremendously and so have my co-workers. This has been an amazing experience and I am so glad that I was a part of it. Thank you AmeriCorps and the American Red Cross!

Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces reaches out to returning Marines.

On August 14th 2010 I attended a briefing held by Cindy Price at 2711 Mcdonough Street in Joliet. The purpose of the briefing was to educate Marines returning from a deployment about all the services the Red Cross offers to them, and their families. Cindy was very friendly and professional as she talked to the Marines about the many services the Red Cross has to offer. The marines left with a vast amount of knowledge about the Red Cross programs including psychiatric help, life insurance for veterans, and guidance on coping with pre and post deployments. To find out more about the Chicago Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces visit www.chicagoredcross.org/military



Watch as Cindy talks about the Get To Know Us Brief

Taneshia's Hurricane Katrina Story of Survival, 5 Years Later

When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, Taneshia Dunn watched the damage unfold on the television screen in a hotel lobby in Houston. She had evacuated her home in New Orleans, and she knew from watching the footage that her life was changing forever. When recounting her story of survival, Taneshia credits the American Red Cross as being a beacon of hope wherever she went.

Taneshia was working at a hotel when Hurricane Katrina began barreling toward the Gulf, but this wasn’t her first hurricane. Just a year earlier, Hurricane Ivan had rolled through. Taneshia and her fiancé William had hunkered down in the hotel where Taneshia worked and had survived with barely a scratch. So in 2005, they took a critical eye toward Katrina, but decided to wait and see.

On the Saturday before the storm hit, they went to Wal-mart. The lines to get gasoline trailed down the block. It was miserably hot, and Taneshia’s car didn’t have air conditioning. She was still skeptical about taking a long trip for nothing. All night, she and William watched the news. At one point, she heard a stern warning from the city’s mayor that changed her mind. At 4 a.m. on Sunday, they packed up a few bags and headed to Houston. It took them more than 8 hours to make the 4-hour trip.

Taneshia and William spent the first month after the hurricane living with family in the countryside. They had no power for that entire time, so they grilled their meals in the yard and relied on generators. When the city of New Orleans reopened, Taneshia went home to see what she could salvage. Almost everything in her house was destroyed. Her neighbor had stated behind and taken photos during the storm. “The whole street looked like a lake,” Taneshia said.
They headed to Baton Rouge and found a motel with an open room. “I remember thinking, ‘We’re here, now how are we going to eat?’” Before she could worry for very long, the American Red Cross arrived at the motel offering warm meals, cold water and snacks. “They came by every day, three times a day,” Taneshia said. “It made me think, ‘Wow, this Red Cross is really something special.”

After months of staying in the motel, Taneshia was offered an opportunity to relocate to Chicago. She had never lived anywhere but Louisiana, but she felt like it was the right choice. Soon, a temp agency found her a position at the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago. The job turned permanent, and she has been here ever since. “After an experience like Katrina, your outlook on everything changes,” Taneshia said. “It taught me to appreciate things on a whole new level.” Working at the Red Cross has also helped Taneshia heal. “I made a vow that when I got back on my feet, I wanted to give back,” Taneshia said. “Now I get to be part of the organization I care so much about.”

To learn more about preparing for disasters, visit www.chicagoredcross.org/ready

-Kristin Claes is the senior writer for the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago.

Brenda Saves a Fellow Volunteer

When Brenda Snapp became a CPR instructor with the American Red Cross, she never thought she’d use her skills to help a fellow Red Cross volunteer. On a sweltering day in early August, however, that’s exactly what she did.

Brenda was representing the American Red Cross at the Kankakee county fair on a sweltering day in early August. Everything was going well, despite the heat. “We had just won first prize for our display,” Brenda said. Another volunteer showed up for his shift, and Brenda started chatting with him. “I noticed he was sweating a lot, and I thought he might have heat stroke,” Brenda said.

Suddenly, the man told her, “My arms don’t feel right,” and he passed out. Brenda lowered him gently to the ground and called 911. She used her training to act quickly. Monitoring the man’s breathing and pulse, Brenda placed a cold bottle of water under his neck. She stayed by his side and kept him cool with a fan until the ambulance arrived.

Brenda said her Red Cross training helped her know what to do to help her fellow volunteer. “I knew what I was doing was the right thing and that I couldn’t harm him. I did what I could to get the people there to care for him and get him to be where he needed to be, in the hospital.” The volunteer is still recovering from his illness and calls Brenda regularly to keep her updated on his progress.

The experience has reinforced Brenda’s love for working at the Red Cross. “You feel good when you leave here after a day of work. Like your day was actually spent doing something very good,” she said.

-Kristin Claes is the senior writer at the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago.

Red Cross prepares parents and kids for school with safety.

It was a great day on Friday August 13, 2010 as hundreds of parents and children attended the WGN TV back to school fair. It was a hot morning, and the Chicago Red Cross was on the scene offering tips on safety and beating the heat. Parents were thankful to the Red Cross for all the advice that was given to them to prepare for disasters. “I think safety is very important especially when it comes to my children,” Nancy Lewis said, “and I am personally thankful for everything the Red Cross offers from safety advice to disaster relief.” The Red Cross taught families all about what they needed to prepare for an emergency through escape plans, making a disaster kit, and a solid communication plan. The Red Cross provided pamphlets on safety, water bottles, and visual demonstrations on how to prepare an emergency disaster kit to all the parents and their children. To learn how you can prepare your family for an emergency visit our website at www.chicagoredcross.org/ready

shark week safety

www.nataliedee.com

Here we are in the middle of Shark Week and I think this is an excellent opportunity to brush up on water safety. While we don't have to worry too much about a shark attack in Lake Michigan, there was a time when a shark attack was a realistic threat in the Illinois stretch of the Mississippi river. In 1937, a freshwater-loving bull shark was caught by commercial fisherman in Alton, Illinois. Since then, dams have prevented bull sharks from entering Illinois.

What if the unthinkable happens and the dams break or bull sharks decide to take up residency in Lake Michigan? Or, on a more realistic note, what if you are planning a summer trip to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where Great White sharks have recently been spotted? If faced with a shark, would you know what to do?

Here is a (fictional) scenario one girl found herself in - unknowingly provoking a shark attack:

- Emily's boyfriend just gave her a shiny new engagement ring and she swore she'd never remove it from her finger. While celebrating her new engagement with a day in the sun, sand and surf (using the proper sun block of course), she decides to take a dip in the ocean to cool off. On her way to the water, she cuts her toe on broken glass. Instead of using the First Aid knowledge she learned in her Red Cross class to tend to her wound, she decides that she will go rinse off her foot in the water. As she wades in the water, she sees fishermen off in the distance. Jumping up and down to wave hello, she creates splashing in the water, sends the blood from her toe through the water current and flails her shiny new ring around - causing it to reflect throughout the water. Next thing you know...Wham! Shark attack!

A few Red Cross tips could have kept Emily from becoming shark bait:

-Swimmers should not wear shiny jewelry and avoid bright colors which sharks may confuse with fish scales and colorings.

-Do not swim in open fishing grounds and exit the water immediately if something happens that causes you to bleed as sharks can be attracted to the smell of blood from a distance.

-Always swim in groups, do not swim too far from the shore and avoid the water during the times of day when sharks are most active – at dawn, dusk and during the night.

-In general, everyone should learn first aid and CPR/AED skills to know how to respond to an emergency.

-This is a scary incident for the victim and community, and although shark attacks rank low in terms of water-related risk, it is still important that people take precautions when participating in recreation on or around the ocean.

While a shark attack is a very uncommon event, it is a good thing to be prepared. Chicagoland residents are lucky to not have to worry so much about sharks. However, we do need to know how to stay safe from everyday threats in rivers, lakes, streams and swimming pools. Any body of water can present dangerous conditions and everybody should be prepared on how to stay safe in them.

Girls Basketball Team Shoots Hoops for Pledges

Like father like daughter, the Satter family is doing their part to help those in need. John Satter is a volunteer in disaster services with the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago. “I enjoy working with the Chicago Red Cross because I’m part of an organization that provides assistance to those in need,” John said. “I feel a sense of pride when I see the efforts being carried out locally, nationally, and internationally.” He and his 12-year-old daughter Liz joined forces with her basketball team to raise support for disaster victims in Nashville. Liz and her basketball team headed to Nashville for a tournament and decided to give their time, and even their victories, to charity.
The team of 10 girls competed in an AAU Basketball tournament against 60 teams from all over the country. The team asked the crowd to make pledges based on their scores during the tournament. The girls ended up scoring 10th place in the tournament, scoring a total of 257 points in six games. The girls received pledges of nearly $10,000, which was donated to the American Red Cross for disaster relief. The girls also took time out of their schedules to help out at the Second Harvest Food Bank in Nashville.
“It was life-changing and unbelievable,” said 12-year-old Madie Kaebler, one of the players. “When we went to the food pantry to help, we couldn’t stop once we got started. It was an experience I will never forget.”“What I liked most about the trip was the chance to be with my friends,” said Maddie Welter. “It’s really fun when you know you’re doing something fun and helping other people.”

To find out how you can make a difference go to www.chicagoredcross.org

Bottom Row: Sarah Amburn, Bailey Busscher, Madie Kaelber, Maddie Welter, Amanda Kowalski, Becca Napoli, Abby Dein.

Top Row: Liz Satter, Kelly Johnson, Assistant Coach D.J. Kaelber, Coach Rick Kolsky.

Red Cross Prepares Everyone with First Aid and CPR Classes

I never thought being a teacher’s aide could be so amazing. This week, I observed a Red Cross CPR/First Aid class, and it was amazing. Liz was a great instructor. She was funny, friendly, and knew the answer to any question asked of her by the 11 students who attended. I not only got to observe the class, but I also became a demonstrator and translator for a Spanish-speaking student. It was such a life changing experience to not only observe the training but also be able to speak with some of the students and get their input on why it’s so important to take these classes. Gregory Elkey of Chicago says, “I’m a parent, and I think all parents should take advantage of these classes because you never know when something could happen, especially when it comes to kids.” You can learn how to be prepared and save a life by joining a class. To sign up go to
www.chicagoredcross.org/takeaclass

Time to Perform CPR on Mad Men…

In preparation for last night’s Season 4 opener, I took some time to recap the past few seasons of Mad Men. I realized that more often than not, Red Cross training could have helped these intriguing characters as they found themselves in unusual and sometimes ridiculous situations. (BEWARE: If you aren’t caught up on Mad Men there are SPOILERS in this!)

Let’s begin with Season 1 - audiences are introduced to Helen Bishop, a divorcee with two children who is new to the Ossining neighborhood. Betty Draper, being the good neighbor that she is, kindly agrees to help Helen by babysitting her young son. Unfortunately for Betty, things went terribly wrong. I’m sure Betty wishes she would have enrolled in our Babysitter's Bootcamp before taking on this endeavor where she would have learned about the importance of leadership and professionalism; safety and safe play; and first aid.

Still looking at Season 1, Roger Sterling, a partner and known womanizer at Sterling and Cooper, is up late partying with his co-worker Don Draper and suffers a massive heart attack. Don Draper must have been kicking himself and thinking, "If only I had taken a CPR/AED training course, I would have the lifesaving skills needed to perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), and use an automated external defibrillator (AED)."

You don’t even want to get me started on last season, when Lois decided to take a John Deere tractor around the office for a joy ride. If Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce had provided First Aid training to their employees, they all would have been prepared to provide emergency assistance to the poor guy who lost his foot.

This really got me thinking - although accidents like these are far and few between, they may occur and I know that when they do, I have the training necessary to respond.

posted by: Rachael Garcia, Resource Development

After a Fire in Rogers Park, Rich is on the Scene

Yesterday, our disaster action team volunteer Rich Arons responded to a fire in the Rogers Park neighborhood. Pictured here, he’s assessing the damage from the fire. Soggy, torn-out insides from a Chicagoan’s home lay at his feet. You can tell from his gear that Rich knows what to expect at a fire. A truly dedicated volunteer, Rich recently received a pin recognizing 50 years of service to the Red Cross. In the past year alone, Rich responded to 48 local disasters with the Red Cross. He goes to help. He is there to stand by people as they go through what could be the worst day of their lives. At this fire, Rich helped give two people immediate Red Cross relief for food and clothing. Thank you, Rich, for all you do!

To learn more about how you can help local disaster victims, visit www.chicagoredcross.org/donate.

Sidewalks with a Side of Eggs Please

Believe it or not, Tom Skilling says Friday might be the hottest day of the year so far. Get ready, Chitown!

Have you ever heard the saying that "its hot enough to cook an egg on the sidewalk?” Of course you have, who hasn’t? “How many kids, hearing it, actually try? Most likely they end up with a mess resembling scrambled eggs more than one sunny-side up. So what’s the problem? An egg needs a temperature of 158°F to become firm. In order to cook, proteins in the egg must denature (modify), then coagulate, and that won’t happen until the temperature rises enough to start and maintain the process.” Temperatures on the sidewalk only get to around 145°F. The experts say a car hood would be the best conductor of heat—but we certainly wouldn’t recommend it!

Well Chicagoans will get the opportunity to test that theory by the end of the week as forecasters predict some scorchers in the upper nineties. Regardless, if you plan to go out and buy a dozen eggs or stay inside, here are some tips that will keep you safe.

• Drink plenty of water. And avoid caffeine and alcohol which will dehydrate you.
• Stay in the shade when possible, and avoid prolonged sun exposure during the hottest part of the day, between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
• Slow down. Avoid strenuous activity. If you must engage in strenuous activity, do so during the coolest part of the day, which is usually in the morning between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m.
• Never leave children or pets alone in closed vehicles. Temperatures inside a closed vehicle can reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit (F) within minutes. Exposure to such high temperatures can kill in minutes.

Other cool tips can be found at www.chicagoredcross.org/heatwave

For those who want omelets, visit http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/friedegg.html

-Erica Liss is an intern with the American Red Cross. She has a culinary background but has never fried an egg on a sidewalk. Yet.

Show your dog how much you REALLY love them...

Chicago loves their dogs. We're undoubtedly one of the most dog-friendly cities in the world. Along with our dog bakeries, dog beaches, dog boutiques, dog daycare - I read today that O'Hare and Midway now have doggie restrooms!

Well, it should be no surprise to you that in a city that is filled with so many dogs, that the Red Cross is there to share the love. We offer Pet First Aid and CPR courses so you can be prepared when you need to be. Topics covered include: How and when to call for emergency assistance for an injured pet; understanding what is 'normal' for a pet; identifying signals of breathing emergencies, such as choking, and how to provide care….and more! As a dog owner myself, this was definitely a “must-do” on my list – I learned a lot, and rarely head out on long-walks without our first aid kit!

-Erica Barraca, Graphic Designer, Marketing & Communications

Lessons From a Fire

Photo by H. Tillis.

This past weekend Chicago Tribune reporter William Hageman published a story documenting his life after an electrical fire destroyed his home. You can check out his story here.

While I hope you never have to go through the trauma of a fire in your home like the Hageman family, preparing can ease your mind. But, how do you prepare for a fire? Learn to Be Red Cross Ready!

What were the first things that Bill and his family needed after the fire? Food, shelter, clothing, personal hygiene items, important documents, and emotional support all made his list.

Getting a KIT is a great way to account for a good number of these needs - and happens to be Step 1 in becoming Red Cross Ready. Just take a simple backpack and start packing it with emergency supplies. Add some non-perishable foods, a few bottles of water, an extra toothbrush and hair comb, a few days worth of clothes, and a copy of your home insurance policy. You can even add a list of emergency contacts so you know how to get a hold of friends and family who can provide you with some emotional support. Check out our entire list of kit items at www.chicagoredcross.org/ready.

Step 2 is to Make a Plan. Talk to everyone in your household. Choose a place to go in the event of a fire, and make sure everyone knows it. Practice makes perfect – so try testing out the plan every 6 months. Oh, and don’t forget to include your pets in the plan!

Finally, Be Informed. Find out what disasters can occur in your community, and how local authorities will let you know a disaster is happening. The more you know, the more prepared you will be!

And remember, the American Red Cross is here to help! If you are affected by a disaster like a fire, give us a call at 312.729.6100. We can provide you with your immediate needs – food, shelter, clothing, and emotional support - to get you through the first 48 hours.

These safety tips are brought to you by the local Red Cross program, Team Firestopper! We’re working to stop fires before they start in your community! For more information or fire tips, visit www.chicagoredcross.org/firesafety.

How the Red Cross Can Prepare You for Evil Robot Attacks

Photo of Transformers filming in Chicago by Ifmuth.

I must admit that, even though I realize consciously that it’s fake, I was jolted into disaster mode just by looking at the pictures of the Transformers' movie sets on Michigan Avenue today. Piles of destroyed cars and upturned asphalt—all that wreckage would certainly make for a big humanitarian disaster! If that were to happen, the Greater Chicago Red Cross would be on the scene. Whether it’s a natural disaster or an act of terrorism (by giant robots), the Red Cross is there to help. So, in case of an attack of killer robots, here’s how I think we might pitch in, and how you could help, too:

Learn First Aid: When you get hit by a laser or your car is crushed by a giant robot fist, injuries are going to happen. Be ready to help by learning first aid! Learning how to distinguish minor injuries from major ones can save a life. You’ll learn how to put a splint on a broken bone, treat cuts and burns and prevent further injury.

Become a Volunteer: The Transformers would certainly throw our city into chaos. But Red Cross volunteers are trained to deal with highly stressful situations and to help people cope with disasters. Your condo building is set on fire by evil robots? Our volunteers will be there to make sure you have food, clothing and shelter. We do the same for regular people in Chicagoland every day.

Make a Disaster Supply Kit: If you need to leave town because, well, the Transformers are wreaking havoc, it’s good to have a kit to grab and go. Put important items in there, and a little cash, since the Transformers have knocked out the power and the ATMs aren’t going to work. Check out more items you should put in your kit here.

So what do you think? How would you react if the Transformers REALLY came to town?

-Kristin Claes is a writer with the American Red Cross. Though she grew up in the 80s and watched Transformers, she was way more into She-Ra and He-Man. So forgive any gaps in her understanding about how the Transformers work or what they want. All she knows is that they’re big and scary.

Clara Barton Was One Brave Lady

Clara Barton was the humanitarian rock star of the 19th century. A compassionate, hard-working, visionary woman, she was a pioneer in serving members of the military and their families.

Until last night, I knew way too little about her. Like many third graders who have studied her for book reports, I knew that Barton founded the American Red Cross and cared for wounded soldiers on the battlefields of the Civil War. But while watching History Detectives on PBS, I learned that Barton was a pioneer in serving members of the military and their families during times of conflict.

Historians explained the depth of Barton’s commitment: She assisted battlefield doctors in the most gruesome conditions, bravely helping with amputations when no one else could stomach it. Single handedly, she began collecting supplies like socks and bandages for soldiers—one of her first relief efforts. She watched in horror as thousands of soldiers were buried in unmarked graves, and their families were simply left to wonder. Inspired to help, Barton began administering a list of missing soldiers, which helped families locate their loved ones or find closure. She received more than 150 letters each day from families of missing soldiers, or those who had answers.

The History Detectives episode centers on one of these letters and a single soldier and his fate. Today, local volunteers in Chicagoland educate members of the military and their spouses and parents about Red Cross services during deployment. Today, if a soldier’s family needs to alert her about a death, birth or other important news, they make a single call to the American Red Cross.

The episode is available here online. To learn more about our Red Cross services to members of the military today, and to learn how you can help, visit www.chicagoredcross.org/saf

Has the Red Cross ever helped your family? We'd love to hear about it in the comments! Or, tell us which famous lady you did book reports on as a kid :)

-Kristin Claes is a writer for the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago. She also doesn't have cable, so finding something worth watching on PBS made her day.

Sizzling Weather is Taking Over Chicago

The sweltering sun has been beaming on Chicagoans lately, with the past three days each being over 90 degrees. Today Chicago got a “break” (or a sad excuse for a break) with temperatures in the upper eighties. The hot weather was even too much for our streets as the pavement on Lake Shore Drive deteriorated due to the extreme heat! If our solid pavement is crumbling, how are we supposed to stay standing? These extremely hot weather conditions can be dangerous to your health if you’re not taking the right precautions and measures to remain healthy and maintain cool body temperatures. Hot-weather-hater Matthew Maloney stated, “I can’t handle this extreme heat. The best way I stay out of it is staying indoors during the hottest part of the day, and venturing out after 4:00pm when the sun starts going down. If I have to be outside during that prime time I enjoy complaining how hot it is.” Another Chicagoan, JoAnn Neenan, stated “I nanny every day, and yesterday I told the kids we can’t go to the park because if is over 90 degrees out people start melting. Alright, I’ll tell them tomorrow I was kidding… but I can’t take them to the park when it is like this out!” Don’t worry JoAnn and Matt, we have tips to get you through this!
We all have heard about drinking plenty of water and wearing light colored and light weight clothing, but there are more safety tips that will help you keep cool on these scorching hot days. Be sure to wear sunscreen on days that are cloudy, because the sun may be even stronger when it’s pushing through the clouds. Eating small meals of carbohydrates, salads, and fruit and eating more often is a way to prevent heat-related illnesses and keep your body fueled. So before you look into moving to Moscow to escape this heat, do your best to try and stay cool in our wonderful Chicago. For a heat safety checklist or for more safety tips concerning our unwanted heat wave, visit chicagoredcross.org/heatwave.

-By Jeannie Andresen, Marketing and Communications Intern at the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago.

Evanston Fire Displaces Dozens of Men

When the American Red Cross was told that dozens of men were displaced by a fire at the YMCA where they lived late in the evening on July 3rd; volunteers quickly opened a shelter. We made sure that these men had a cool place to sleep, special needs were met (those in wheelchairs needed certain accommodations to be comfortable overnight) and that they had the comforts they needed to make their time away from home bearable.

What level of importance would you assign to things like having a cool place to sleep on a hot summer day and being able to brush your teeth, see kind faces and eat nutritious meals-when you're forced to be away from home?

I’m not sure what I expected when I arrived at the shelter but I can tell you it wasn’t what I found. I’m often surprised by the people I meet on disasters and this group was no different.

They were all colors, shapes, sizes and ages-in all manner of dress from business suits to workout clothes. Some sat quietly reading books or working on laptops, others slept on Red Cross cots in the gym and many gathered in small groups, talking and waiting for news about their home.

Muhammed, an entrepreneur, told me he was launching a new business; although he was evacuated from his residence he grabbed his briefcase, coffee samples and brochures about his product on the way out; he shared these things with me when he found out I was a coffee lover. Then there was Joseph, he had worked in telecom in D.C. for several years; in fact he was there during 9-11 and we talked about the Red Cross and how we helped and how surreal that whole day was; he told me about having to walk 8 miles home that day because all public transportation had been closed. He relocated to Chicago, moved into a 3-bedroom home and worked for a large business development and consulting firm-until recently when the economy started to tumble. He lost his job and home and ultimately moved into the YMCA while searching for new employment. Joseph said, “this fire, it’s just a temporary setback. I’m glad it’s July 4th and not January 4th; the cold would be a whole different story. It’s a beautiful day, we had a place to sleep, friendly people to care for us and good food. We’re doing just fine.”

Martha Carlos is the Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications at the American
Red Cross of Greater Chicago, carlosm@usa.redcross.org

Heat Island!

Have you ever heard of "Urban Heat Island"? When the term was first introduced to me, I thought it was a new reality show... turns out, it's an actual side effect of living in a city, like Chicago!
Heat Island effect is the result of high concentrations of asphalt parking lots, buildings, and roads. These areas absorb more daytime heat and radiate more nighttime heat than rural areas, becoming gigantic slow-burning furnaces. This phenomenon means there's a lot less cooling at night and it can be hotter during the day.

So, if you've got outdoor plans this summer in the city, like visiting the Taste of Chicago, be prepared! When Heat Island effect happens, it can increase the risk of heat-related medical emergencies. Drink plenty of water and get out of the heat when you can.
Another fun fact: Men are more likely to develop heat-related illnesses than women!
This is because, on average, men sweat more than women and so, loose water faster.
To learn more about how to stay safe in the summer heat, sign up for a Community Disaster Education "Heat Wave" class with the American Red Cross and have a great, safe summer!