In a heartfelt showing of appreciation, the Southeastern Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross publicly thanked the Macomb County Board of Commissioners today for its proclamation declaring March 2010 as American Red Cross month in Macomb County.

“We appreciate this recognition from the Macomb County Board of Commissioners,” said James Laverty, CEO of the American Red Cross, Southeastern Michigan Chapter. “We are working to be there for people when they need us the most - whether it’s here in southeast Michigan, across the country or around the globe.”

The Board recognized the Red Cross for its role in providing humanitarian aid to victims of disasters, as well as services to the military, health and safety training, and a majority of the region’s blood supply.

While the U.S. president has traditionally declared every March as Red Cross Month since 1943, the local Red Cross was glad to receive the recognition in its own back yard.

The Board of Commissioners recognized the Southeastern Michigan Chapter at its recent Feb. 25 meeting with an official proclamation, for such things as providing local disaster relief to an average of four home fires a day in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties, providing families with temporary food, clothing and shelter to help them rebuild after their losses.

The Board of Commissioners also acknowledged the local Red Cross for supporting military personnel and their families, helping them to cope with the stresses of deployment as service members help fight terrorism a world away.

The Board further recognized the Chapter for preparing residents for medical emergencies, citing the fact that last year, the Red Cross certified 47,762 Oakland, Macomb and Wayne county residents in First Aid/CPR/AED, and 76,176 residents in water safety skills.

Similarly, the Southeastern Michigan Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross was recognized for supplying a majority of the blood supply, providing blood to 43 hospitals in the region.

The Red Cross was also lauded for supporting international relief efforts, to help other countries cope with enormous disasters, such as the recent earthquake in Haiti, where the Red Cross will continue providing aid for years to come.

About the American Red Cross, Southeastern Michigan Chapter

The American Red Cross, Southeastern Michigan Chapter is a non-profit humanitarian organization that turns caring into action by providing three core services for residents in the tri-county area: relief to disaster victims, support to military personnel (both active and veteran) and their families, and the knowledge and skills to help the community prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. We are volunteer-driven and reflect the diversity of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. As part of the international Red Cross network, we are dedicated to protecting human life and dignity locally, nationally and worldwide. To learn more, log on to www.semredcross.org or follow our blog at www.semtourofduty.org.
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Contact Andrea Tomaszewski
313-494-2740 or
313-350-1434

WDIV Good Health Reporter Dr. Frank McGeorge went to Haiti shortly after the earthquake to provide medical care and humanitarian aid to people, as well as news reports for Channel 4.

On his first morning, Dr. McGeorge began setting up his medical supplies at 6 a.m. in a standing structure, and word spread quickly throughout the neighborhood. Soon, the “walking wounded” as he calls them, were lined up to be treated for such things as fractures and sprains.

Because Dr. McGeorge arrived after the first week following the earthquake, the people with horrible crash injuries had either already received medical treatment or were currently aboard the USNS Comfort receiving medical care.

When he wasn’t providing medical care, Dr. McGeorge witnessed – and videotaped with the help of a cameraman – the vast devastation in Haiti.

“While we clearly have our problems here in America, the human tragedy that I witnessed in Haiti is so far beyond anything I’d ever witnessed,” Dr. McGeorge told WDIV viewers. “We are all on the same little planet. Be thankful for the life that you’re blessed with. Help anyone who’s less fortunate whenever you can.”

While witnessing and videotaping the destruction with his cameraman, Dr. McGeorge noticed a huge need for food, shelter and water, the basic humanitarian provisions that the Red Cross has been providing to the Haitian people.

He noted that shelter is an especially huge problem, because the makeshift homes made from sticks and blankets and tied with a string would never stand up to the coming winds and rain, and provide very little privacy, which is a basic human need.

He said the tents and cooking supplies that the American Red Cross began delivering will be a tremendous help. Until the Haitians can redevelop their agricultural base, they need food from the Red Cross and other organizations.

Though he saw a lot of devastation, he also saw things that lifted him up, such as a lot of help coming in from the U.S. and all over the world, which he said was “incredibly awe-inspiring.”

DETROIT) - In celebration of Red Cross Month, the Southeastern Michigan Chapter is offering a free 45-minute Automated External Defibrillator (AED) presentation for organizations in the tri-county area throughout the month of March. The presentation is intended for those organizations that don't have an AED, or for those who already own one but have not been trained recently in its use.

Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., claiming more than 200,000 lives each year. According to the American Red Cross, when sudden cardiac arrest strikes - for every minute that passes - the chance of survival goes down by 10 percent.

"Many people don’t realize how easy it is to use an Automated External Defibrillator, and how important it is to have one nearby in case of sudden cardiac arrest,” said Lynne Osborne, Manager of Workplace Programs for the Southeastern Michigan Chapter.

To better prepare workplaces for these medical emergencies, the Southeastern Michigan Chapter is offering the free 45-minute AED session for any size group during the day or evening, seven days a week, at any location in Wayne, Oakland or Macomb county. The presentation, which normally costs $150 (or is waived for those purchasing AEDs from the Red Cross), will be free for the first 100 organizations.

During the session, an experienced Red Cross AED professional will:

Explain sudden cardiac arrest and the “Cardiac Chain of Survival.”
Teach when and how to use an AED.
Give a demonstration of a live AED.
Discuss the precautions and safety features within an AED.
Review the Michigan Good Samaritan Laws, and liability issues or concerns.
Explain specific maintenance including when and how to change pads/batteries.
Answer questions and dispel lingering fears about AEDs.

The Southeastern Michigan Chapter can tailor the orientations to specific AEDs from the following manufacturers: Cardiac Science, Medtronic/Physio-Control, Philips Medical and Zoll Medical.

For more information or to register, contact Osborne at 313-576-4106 or osbornely@usa.redcross.org.

About the American Red Cross, Southeastern Michigan Chapter

The American Red Cross, Southeastern Michigan Chapter is a non-profit humanitarian organization that turns caring into action by providing three core services for residents in the tri-county area: relief to disaster victims, support to military personnel (both active and veteran) and their families, and the knowledge and skills to help the community prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. We are volunteer-driven and reflect the diversity of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. As part of the international Red Cross network, we are dedicated to protecting human life and dignity locally, nationally and worldwide.

SE MI chapter thanks MLB star Ordonez for $100K donation to support relief efforts

DETROIT—Today in a heartfelt showing of appreciation for his generosity, the Southeastern Michigan chapter of the American Red Cross publicly thanked Detroit Tigers outfielder Magglio Ordonez for his $100,000 contribution supporting the American Red Cross relief and recovery efforts in Haiti.

As one of Michigan’s most renowned athletes, Ordonez’s generous gift was lauded by the Southeastern Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross as they continue to ask for local support for what will be a long-term relief effort.

“Magglio not only wields a big bat on the field, but also when it comes to supporting humanitarian causes,” said Jim Laverty, CEO of the Southeastern Michigan Chapter. “We are extremely grateful for his generosity and his donation will certainly help in providing ongoing relief to those on the ground in Haiti.”

Since January 12, the American Red Cross remains as one of the lead humanitarian organizations in Port-au-Prince helping to provide medical aid, food, shelter and water to thousands of Haitians everyday. To date, the Red Cross has provided daily emergency relief to hundreds of thousands in Haiti. In addition, the organization has:

• Produced more than 1.2 million liters of water daily for more than 300,000 people
• Provided more than 1 million water purifiers for people to clean and carry water
• Distributed food and relief items (blankets, hygiene kits, water containers, laundry soap and mosquito nets) to more than 250,000 people

The Red Cross continues to make progress each day, however due to the many complexities of this disaster and the extraordinary needs of the Haitian people, officials estimate that the emergency relief phase could last for up to 12 months.

People can still donate in support of the relief effort in Haiti at www.redcross.org or by calling 1-800-REDCROSS. Mobile donors can text “HAITI” to 90999 to make a $10 contribution. Red Cross officials have estimated that at least 91 cents of every dollar goes towards relief and recovery efforts for this disaster.

A $10 donation can provide a family with two water cans to store clean drinking water, basic first aid supplies or a blanket.

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Contact Howard Hughey
313-743-3527

WASHINGTON, Thursday, February 11, 2010 — Hundreds of thousands of cell phone users have made $10 donations to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund by sending the word “Haiti” to 90999, raising a record-shattering $32 million in mobile giving for the ongoing relief efforts.

The mobile giving program was established within hours of the January 12 earthquake in Haiti through the efforts of the U.S. State Department, Mobile Accord/mGive Foundation, CTIA – The Wireless Association, and the American Red Cross.

The text “Haiti” to 90999 has been an easy and efficient way for people to lend their support to those affected by the earthquake, and has been widely promoted during major televised events such as the Super Bowl and the Grammy Awards and through public service advertisements by First Lady Michelle Obama and by a number of celebrities. For example, a promotion of the text “Haiti” to 90999 during the Super Bowl resulted in a jump in mobile donations that pushed the total past $32 million.

Donations from the mobile giving program support the American Red Cross relief and recovery work in Haiti.

“Because of the generosity of donors through this mobile giving program, people in Haiti are receiving help following this tragedy and they will receive resources, support and training from the Red Cross that will help them recover and rebuild for years to come,” said Jeff Towers, chief development officer of the Red Cross. “A $10 donation made through mobile giving can provide a family with two water cans to store clean drinking water, basic first aid supplies or a blanket. We are grateful to the more than 3.1 million donors and their mobile phone service providers who waived texting fees and expedited the processing of donations.”

The American Red Cross has already received more than $15 million from the text donations thanks to the efforts of AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless.

“This is a great example of rapidly employing modern technology to support a vitally important foreign policy and humanitarian priority. We at the Department of State are gratified at the generous response of the American people in support of the Red Cross’ rapid response to the crisis in Haiti,” said P.J. Crowley, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the State Department.

“This incredible response is an affirmation of the goodwill of millions of Americans,” said James Eberhard, mGive’s chairman. “As the leader in the mobile giving space, it was our duty to respond and organize the mobile industry to allow people to give through their mobile phones. As part of this, Mobile Accord donated its services and platform to help in the relief efforts. Over the last four weeks, the mGive Platform saw peak periods processing over $1 million and over 100,000 transactions in under an hour.”

Donations to the Red Cross will help with both the short-term relief and long-term recovery of Haiti. The American Red Cross has spent or committed nearly $78 million to meet the most urgent needs of earthquake survivors, with 71 percent of the funds spent or committed for food and water; 20 percent for shelter supplies such as tents, blankets, tarps and sleeping mats; and the rest are for health and family services. In addition, the American Red Cross is also providing blood and blood products for patients in Haiti, along with family-linking services to reconnect those who were separated during the disaster. Creole-speaking volunteers are helping aboard the hospital ship, the USNS Comfort.

The American Red Cross has about 100 relief specialists and volunteers helping with the relief efforts in Haiti (including the Creole interpreters on the USNS Comfort hospital ship). In total, more than 600 Red Cross and Red Crescent workers from at least 30 countries around the world are in Haiti working with more than 2,500 Haitian Red Cross volunteers in areas such as health, logistics, and relief supply distribution.

The Red Cross network is producing more than 1 million liters of water per day in Haiti, enough for 300,000 people, and Red Cross distributions of food and relief items (blankets, kitchen sets, hygiene kits, buckets, water containers, laundry soap/detergent, and mosquito nets) have reached nearly 32,000 families (or 170,000 people). In addition, an average of 1,600 patients are being treated each day at the combined six Red Cross health facilities in Haiti, and the Red Cross teams are part of a major vaccination program that started this past weekend to vaccinate 250,000 children, ages 6 weeks to 7 years, against measles, rubella, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus.

Government and relief agencies agree it will take many years to rebuild Haiti. The Red Cross is working in close collaboration with other responding organizations to support immediate needs and long-term recovery projects.

To support the American Red Cross efforts in Haiti, people can text “Haiti” to 90999 on a cell phone to make a $10 donation, visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS.

You can help the victims of countless crises, like the recent earthquake in Haiti, around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster, please do so at the time of your donation by mailing your donation with the designation to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013 or to your local American Red Cross chapter. Donations to the International Response Fund can be made by phone at 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish) or online at www.redcross.org.

About mGive.com and Mobile Accord, Inc.
www.mGive.com , a subsidiary of Mobile Accord. Inc. is the innovator and leader in mobile technology for nonprofit organizations, powering mobile donations in the United States. Founded in 2005, mGive was the first company in the U.S. to offer mobile tools specifically built for nonprofit organizations. mGive serves more than 250 leading U.S. nonprofit organizations and has processed more than 95% of all mobile donations to date. Visit www.mgive.com for more information.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation’s blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.