USF Lakeland students deliver donations to Polk Red Cross

(Winter Haven) June 29, 2009 – At the beginning of May, Laura Lovell read how an apartment building fire displaced seven Bartow families – seven adults and 22 children – in one night by an apartment fire.

When she called the American Red Cross and offered to help, she learned that the local Red Cross can only accept in-kind donations that can be distributed evenly and fairly among the people served in the community.

Programs and Services Director Linda Scialo explained to Lovell that Disaster Action Team volunteers distribute infant and child care items – diapers, rattles, baby bottles and travel wipes – when needed, to families with infants and toddlers who are displaced by single-family disasters. She suggested Lovell and her friends collect and donate those items to help the weekly Disaster Action Team responses throughout Polk County.

Lovell and five other classmates in “Human Relationship Skills,” a course at the University of Southern Florida in Lakeland, set to work, gathering infant supplies over the past month, and on Monday, June 29, they dropped off the supplies at the local Polk County Chapter.

The donation was enough to cover the floor of the office lobby. The class is done with the project, Lovell said, but she has still had people wanting to donate supplies – diapers, rattles, baby bottles and travel wipes – which she’ll make sure are delivered to the Polk County Chapter.

Scialo was excited, saying that the donation could take care of infant supply needs for single-family disaster responses for the rest of the year. She and Chapter CEO Tom Costello both added, however, that on large disasters, the Red Cross will still need people to donate money, and the Red Cross always needs people to volunteer.

For large disasters, the Red Cross accepts financial donations so aid can be provided where needed in whatever form. For more information on preparing for disaster, visit the local Polk County Chapter website at http://polkcountyfl.redcross.org or the Mid-Florida Region site at www.midfloridaredcross.org. Thank you for supporting your local American Red Cross.

Family hears life-saving story and signs up for CPR

WINTER HAVEN, FL (JUNE 27, 2009) – Most mornings, Jennifer Williamson listens to 97 Country WPCV in Lakeland, but one morning, she got a call to action.

That morning two mothers told why it is important to learn American Red Cross first aid and CPR: One of them saved the other one’s child from drowning.

Teresa Butler was having a birthday party for her older son at a swimming pool. The younger son, Dalton, was right behind her on the steps to the pool, but when she turned around, he was gone. After a frantic search, she saw him face down in the pool.

She jumped in, got him, out, and a family friend and a stranger immediately started rescue breaths and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. They soon revived him, and after being checked out at the hospital, he was OK.

The stranger was Michelle Lopez, who joined Teresa on the radio that morning. Michelle said she learned CPR because she her son once had a seizure, and didn’t know what to do, but a person who knew Red Cross CPR helped them.

Jennifer Williamson has an 8-month-old niece and wanted to be sure nothing would ever happen to her, so she immediately signed up her husband John and her mother, Barbara Rohde, for a Red Cross First Aid and CPR class at the local chapter, which they completed on Saturday, June 27.

Barbara, who was a lifeguard for many years, said she was glad just to have the chance to renew. Jennifer said the first person who came to her mind was her niece, and she just wanted to make sure she would be safe.

“God forbid, if anything happened, we’d know what to do,” she said.

To take a class, contact your Polk Red Cross at (863) 386-4440, visit http://polkcountyfl.redcross.org, or look up classes on the Mid-Florida Region web site at www.midfloridaredcross.org. 

Polk Red Cross helps Auburndale family after fire

AUBURNDALE, FL (JUNE 27, 2009) – On Saturday, fire damaged the home of a family in Auburndale, and American Red Cross volunteers arrived to provide assistance.

Volunteers arrived at 2:30 p.m. Monday, June 27, at the scene of a fire on Duncan Circle West in Auburndale, where fire had caused major damage to a home, displacing three adults. American Red Cross volunteers provided them with temporary shelter; emergency assistance for groceries, clothing and shoes, and comfort kits (personal hygiene items).

Any disaster can be devastating to a family, large or small, and needs increase during tough economic times. Please take every precaution and follow fire safety tips to prevent fires in your home, and please support your local Red Cross.

Learn to prevent fire from the Polk County Chapter at (863) 294-5941, visit http://polkcountyfl.redcross.org, or visit the American Red Cross Mid-Florida Region web site at www.midfloridaredcross.org.

Polk Red Cross helps Lakeland family of six after fire

LAKELAND, FL (JUNE 26, 2009) – On Friday afternoon, American Red Cross volunteers helped a Lakeland family displaced from their home by fire.

Two volunteers with the American Red Cross Polk County Chapter Disaster Action Team arrived at 4:40 p.m. Friday night, June 26, at to a home on Morning Star Drive in Lakeland, where fire had displaced two adults and four children.

Volunteers provided the family with temporary shelter, emergency assistance for groceries, comfort kits (personal hygiene items), odor-control concentrated cleaner to help salvage items from the home, and a Red Cross clean-up kit.

Any disaster can be devastating to a family, large or small, and needs increase during tough economic times. Please take every precaution and follow fire safety tips to prevent fires in your home, and please support your local Red Cross.

Learn to prevent fire from the Polk County Chapter at (863) 294-5941, visit http://polkcountyfl.redcross.org, or visit the American Red Cross Mid-Florida Region web site at www.midfloridaredcross.org.

Get trained in July with Health & Safety classes

First Aid/CPR/AED Challenges (Recertification by appointment).  
Gives professional rescuers, health professionals, and private individuals an opportunity to renew their Red Cross skills certification by taking a skills test to prove they know how to properly respond in an emergency. Cost: $35.
Tests held at American Red Cross Polk County Chapter, 147 Avenue A, NW, Winter Haven.
Call (863) 294-5941 to schedule an appointment.

Adult CPR/AED
Monday, July 6 – 6-10 p.m.
Gives individuals the knowledge and skills necessary to provide basic care for injury and sudden illness, including how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED), for adults who suffer sudden cardiac arrest, until advanced medical personnel arrive and take over.
Cost: $45, includes textbooks and skill cards. Discounts are available for taking multiple courses. Call for details.
Classes held at American Red Cross Polk County Chapter, 147 Avenue A, NW, Winter Haven.
Call (863) 294-5941 to register.

Infant/Child CPR
Tuesday, July 7 – 6-10 p.m.
Gives individuals the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and provide basic care for injury and sudden illness for infants and children who suffer sudden cardiac arrest, choking, or drowning, until advanced medical personnel arrive and take over.
Cost: $45, including textbooks and skill cards. Discounts are available for taking multiple courses. Call for details.
Classes held at American Red Cross Polk County Chapter, 147 Avenue A, NW, Winter Haven.
Call (863) 294-5941 to register.

Standard First Aid with AED
Wednesday, July 8 – 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Gives individuals the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and provide basic care for injury and sudden illness, for adults, infants and children, until advanced medical personnel arrive and take over.
Also teaches how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED), for adults who suffer sudden cardiac arrest.  
Cost: $55, including textbooks and skill cards. Discounts are available for taking multiple courses. Call for details.
Classes held at American Red Cross Polk County Chapter, 147 Avenue A, NW, Winter Haven.
Call (863) 294-5941 to register.

First Aid
Thursday, July 9 – 6-10 p.m.
Gives individuals the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and provide basic care for injury and sudden illness, for adults, infants and children, until advanced medical personnel arrive and take over.
Cost: $35, includes text books and skill cards. Discounts are available for taking multiple courses. Call for details.
Classes held at American Red Cross Polk County Chapter, 147 Avenue A, NW, Winter Haven.
Call (863) 294-5941 to register.

First Aid/CPR/AED
Saturday, July 11 – 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Gives individuals the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and provide basic care for injury and sudden illness, including how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED), for adults, infants and children who suffer sudden cardiac arrest, until advanced medical personnel arrive and take over.
Cost: $60, includes textbook and skill cards.
Classes held at American Red Cross Polk County Chapter, 147 Avenue A, NW, Winter Haven.
Call (863) 294-5941 to register.

Adult CPR/AED
Monday, July 13 – 6-10 p.m.
Gives individuals the knowledge and skills necessary to provide basic care for injury and sudden illness, including how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED), for adults who suffer sudden cardiac arrest, until advanced medical personnel arrive and take over. 
Cost: $45, includes textbooks and skill cards. Discounts are available for taking multiple courses. Call for details.
Classes held at American Red Cross Polk County Chapter, 147 Avenue A, NW, Winter Haven.
Call (863) 294-5941 to register.

Infant/Child CPR
Tuesday, July 14 – 6-10 p.m.
Gives individuals the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and provide basic care for injury and sudden illness for infants and children who suffer sudden cardiac arrest, choking, or drowning, until advanced medical personnel arrive and take over.
Cost: $45, including textbooks and skill cards. Discounts are available for taking multiple courses. Call for details.
Classes held at American Red Cross Polk County Chapter, 147 Avenue A, NW, Winter Haven.
Call (863) 294-5941 to register.

CPR for the Professional Rescuer
Wednesday, July 15 – 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Two-Year Certification
Class teaches professional rescuers (those with duty to respond) the skills needed to respond appropriately to respiratory and cardiac emergencies. Provides a two-year certification.
Cost: $70, includes textbook and soft pocket rescue mask.
Classes held at American Red Cross Polk County Chapter, 147 Avenue A, NW, Winter Haven.
Call (863) 294-5941 to register.

First Aid
Thursday, July 16 – 6-10 p.m.
Gives individuals the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and provide basic care for injury and sudden illness, for adults, infants and children, until advanced medical personnel arrive and take over.
Cost: $35, includes text books and skill cards. Discounts are available for taking multiple courses. Call for details.
Classes held at American Red Cross Polk County Chapter, 147 Avenue A, NW, Winter Haven.
Call (863) 294-5941 to register.

Standard First Aid with AED
Friday, July 17 – 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Gives individuals the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and provide basic care for injury and sudden illness, for adults, infants and children, until advanced medical personnel arrive and take over.
Also teaches how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED), for adults who suffer sudden cardiac arrest.  
Cost: $55, including textbooks and skill cards. Discounts are available for taking multiple courses. Call for details.
Classes held at American Red Cross Polk County Chapter, 147 Avenue A, NW, Winter Haven.
Call (863) 294-5941 to register.

Pet First Aid/CPR
Saturday, July 18 – 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Take care of your pet as part of your family, and know how to help them in an emergency. Learn how to treat your pet’s ailments and emergencies – including giving mouth-to-snout resuscitation – until you can get the pet to proper veterinary care. Also, receive tips on maintaining pets’ health and well-being, and instructions for creating a pet first aid kit.
Cost: $40, includes Pet First Aid book.
Classes held at American Red Cross Polk County Chapter, 147 Avenue A, NW, Winter Haven.
Call (863) 294-5941 to register.

Babysitting Boot Camp
Tuesday-Thursday, July 21-23 – 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Babysitting Boot Camp, for ages 11-15, teaches students childcare skills in five critical areas: Leadership, Safety & Safe Play, Basic Care, First Aid, and Professionalism. Includes First Aid and Infant/Child CPR certification.
Cost: $125, incl. backpack with mini first aid kit. Call (863) 294-5941 to register.
Classes held at American Red Cross Polk County Chapter, 147 Avenue A, NW, Winter Haven.
Call (863) 294-5941 to register

First Aid/CPR/AED
Saturday, July 25 – 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Gives individuals the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and provide basic care for injury and sudden illness, including how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED), for adults, infants and children who suffer sudden cardiac arrest, until advanced medical personnel arrive and take over.
Cost: $60, includes textbook and skill cards.
Classes held at American Red Cross Polk County Chapter, 147 Avenue A, NW, Winter Haven
Call (863) 294-5941 to register.

Adult CPR/AED
Monday, July 27 – 6-10 p.m.
Gives individuals the knowledge and skills necessary to provide basic care for injury and sudden illness, including how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED), for adults who suffer sudden cardiac arrest, until advanced medical personnel arrive and take over.
Cost: $45, includes textbooks and skill cards. Discounts are available for taking multiple courses. Call for details.
Classes held at American Red Cross Polk County Chapter, 147 Avenue A, NW, Winter Haven.
Call (863) 294-5941 to register.

Infant/Child CPR
Tuesday, July 28 – 6-10 p.m.
Gives individuals the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and provide basic care for injury and sudden illness for infants and children who suffer sudden cardiac arrest, choking, or drowning, until advanced medical personnel arrive and take over.
Cost: $45, including textbooks and skill cards. Discounts are available for taking multiple courses. Call for details.
Classes held at American Red Cross Polk County Chapter, 147 Avenue A, NW, Winter Haven.
Call (863) 294-5941 to register.

First Aid
Thursday, July 30 – 6-10 p.m.
Gives individuals the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and provide basic care for injury and sudden illness, for adults, infants and children, until advanced medical personnel arrive and take over.
Cost: $35, includes text books and skill cards. Discounts are available for taking multiple courses. Call for details.
Classes held at American Red Cross Polk County Chapter, 147 Avenue A, NW, Winter Haven.
Call (863) 294-5941 to register.

Red Cross helps two Avon Park families after fires

Volunteers provide water to firefighters at unoccupied mobile home fire

AVON PARK, FL (JUNE 24, 2009) – Red Cross volunteers have helped two families – including a family of six – and supported local fire fighters after three fire incidents in less than 24 hours in Highlands County.

Early Wednesday morning, an apartment fire on South Verona Avenue in Avon Park displaced a family of six – two adults and four kids ranging from 17 to 5 years old. Volunteers provided them with temporary shelter, emergency assistance for groceries, emergency assistance for clothing for three, and referrals to other local charitable organizations.

That same morning, another fire displaced an 86-year-old woman on Memorial Drive in Avon Park . She plans to stay with neighbors. Red Cross volunteers provided her with emergency assistance for food.

The day before, Tuesday, June 23, Red Cross volunteers responded to a mobile home fire on Robin Court in Sebring. The house was unoccupied, but volunteers provided water and snacks to firefighters on the scene.

While much of the focus during hurricane season is on the potential for large disasters, small disasters continue to affect families, and needs increase during tough economic times. Please take every precaution and follow fire safety tips to prevent fires in your home, and please support your local Red Cross.

Learn to prevent fire from your local Red Cross at (863) 386-4440, visit http://polkcountyfl.redcross.org, or visit the Mid-Florida Region web site at www.midfloridaredcross.org.

USF students gather donations for Polk Red Cross Disaster Action Team

Read about it in The Ledger.

LAKELAND, FL (June 20, 2009) – When Laura Lovell read how seven Bartow families were displaced in one night by an apartment fire, she called the American Red Cross and offered to help.

“Seven families displaced grabbed my attention,” she said, recalling news that a fire on Saturday night, May 9, displaced seven adults and 22 children.

Lovell and five other classmates in “Human Relationship Skills,” a course at the University of Southern Florida in Lakeland, wanted to donate supplies for the families to the local Red Cross, but the local Red Cross can only accept in-kind donations that can be distributed evenly and fairly among the people served in the community.

Programs and Services Director Linda Scialo explained to Lovell that Disaster Action Team volunteers distribute infant and child care items – diapers, rattles, baby bottles and travel wipes – when needed, to families with infants and toddlers who are displaced by single-family disasters.  She suggested Lovell and her friends collect and donate those items to help the weekly Disaster Action Team responses throughout Polk County.

Lovell and her team set to work, gathering infant supplies over the past month. They plan to make a donation in person to the Polk County Chapter on Monday, June 29.

“We’re still working at it,” Lovell said. “Every little bit helps.”

They have one more week and hope they can assist the Polk Red Cross, especially now that budgets are tight and community needs have increased.

For more information on how to help this effort, contact Laura Lovell at (863) 648-0048.

For more information on preparing for disaster, visit the local Polk County Chapter website at http://polkcountyfl.redcross.org or the Mid-Florida Region site at www.midfloridaredcross.org.

Red Cross helps Lakeland family of seven after fire

LAKELAND, FL (JUNE 22, 2009) – On Monday, when a fire damaged the house of a family of seven in Lakeland, American Red Cross volunteers arrived to provide assistance.

Volunteers arrived at 1:46 p.m. Monday, June 22, at the scene of a fire on Old South Drive in Lakeland. Fire had damaged part of the home, and there was smoke and water damage throughout, displacing two adults and five children.

American Red Cross volunteers provided them with temporary shelter, emergency assistance for groceries, comfort kits (personal hygiene items), odor-control concentrated cleaner to help salvage items from the home, and landlord verification forms to assist them in relocating.

While much of the focus during hurricane season is on the potential for large disasters, small disasters continue to affect families, and needs increase during tough economic times. Please take every precaution and follow fire safety tips to prevent fires in your home, and please support your local Red Cross.

Learn to prevent fire from the Polk County Chapter at (863) 294-5941, visit http://polkcountyfl.redcross.org/, or visit the Mid-Florida Region web site at www.midfloridaredcross.org.