Highlights of the Year

Hurricane Katrina Response
As Hurricane Katrina quickly developed into the largest single natural disaster in the 125- year history of the American Red Cross, West Michigan responded just as quickly with an amazing outpouring of support. The phones rang off the hook, the donations poured in and hundreds of people wanting to volunteer their time and talents arrived at the Chapter. The next four months were a frenzy of activity at the Red Cross.

Staffing and Training
More than 180 people volunteered their time and talents as a result of the hurricanes. Over a four-month period 155 of those volunteers completed disaster volunteer training. Their four days of instruction included orientation to the American Red Cross, introduction to disaster, mass care, family services, shelter operations, emergency response vehicle training and first aid/CPR. We deployed 152 local volunteers to serve in the affected areas. Volunteers were also utilized at the Chapter providing local support answering the phones, handling casework, handling Disaster Welfare Inquiries (DWIs), recruiting, training, conducting background checks, deploying and debriefing volunteers, entering data and managing contributions.

Family Services–Casework
The Red Cross worked with 65 families (130 people) from the affected hurricane area who filtered into our three-county jurisdiction on their own. Local Red Cross volunteers met with each family and determined their emergency needs. Some stayed with relatives, while others were placed in motels. The Red Cross provided the families with support including personal interviews, financial assistance, housing assistance, mental health counseling and referrals to FEMA and other organizations.

Responding to Life’s Tragedies
When a disaster or other emergency strikes our community, people depend on the Red Cross to be there. In March, 20 senior citizens were forced from their apartments by fire in the middle of the night. Nine trained Red Cross volunteers responded to the midnight apartment fire at Muskegon’s Hickory Village to comfort the evacuees and provide for their shelter, clothing, food and medication needs. Shelter arrangements with nearby relatives were made for most of the seniors but six evacuees were housed at a Red Cross temporary shelter overnight until further arrangements could be made.

Updated Instructors Ready to Train
In 2006, all Health and Safety CPR and First Aid classes were updated to reflect new guidelines developed by the National First Aid Science Advisory Board. Most notable changes include: CPR rates of chest compressions to breaths changed to 30:2 which will now be the same for infants, children and adults and changes to the First Aid curriculum include instructors being able to demonstrate and teach the use of epi-pens (for severe allergic reactions) and asthma inhalers. More than 75 certified Red Cross instructors have updated on these dramatic changes and will provide education to our community that will be the most effective in responding to emergencies.

Practice, Practice, Practice
Your local Red Cross volunteers are working in our community every day helping you prepare for possible emergency situations. Volunteers made many presentations at area schools and community clubs telling the Red Cross response story and encouraging the audience to take basic steps to prepare. Red Cross disaster volunteers themselves were put to the test by participating in area county emergency drills. One drill in October 2005 involved testing Muskegon County’s ability to respond to a bio-terrorist attack. Over 20 Red Cross volunteers provided the feeding of more than 200 disaster drill participants. Then in the spring of 2006, trained Red Cross volunteers responded to a Newaygo County train crash and chemical spill exercise. Massive disasters demand massive responses, and drills, preparedness presentations and disaster training all work together to insure our community is ready to respond to every disaster.

Pint-sized Heroes
Each school year, local high school students account for 20% of the blood donated to the Red Cross. Last fall sixth, seventh and eighth graders became “pint-sized heroes” by helping with 73 units of blood. Fruitport Middle School held their first blood drive in the school gymnasium in September 2005. The middle schoolers—who do not meet the 17 year-old requirement themselves—experienced blood donation firsthand. From recruiting older siblings, parents and relatives to give the precious gift of life to running the canteen, students were involved every step of the way. This effort was a first in the area for a middle school to undertake. It not only educated the young about the need for donating blood, but it was a community learning experience as well.

Providing Comfort
Wherever members of the United States Armed Forces serve our country, the American Red Cross stands beside them 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. Whether it is troops stationed in Afghanistan or on active duty in Iraq, the Red Cross provides a vital emergency communications link between the men and women in the military and their families back home. This year our Chapter provided three military families in our jurisdiction with support after the death of their loved ones serving in Iraq. This heartfelt support included immediate phone calls to family to provide comprehensive mental health support, attending family visitations and community funerals and providing long-term follow-up as needed.