Eat at Brima restaurant and donate to the Red Cross

Local restaurant gives 10 percent of Saturday, Feb. 28, receipts to Polk County Chapter

LAKELAND, FL (Feb. 26, 2009) – Crystal Bell draws inspiration from working with the Red Cross, and hopes to inspire others.

This Saturday, Brima Restaurant at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport – where Bell works – will donate 10 percent of food sales to the American Red Cross Polk County Chapter, along with anything extra that patrons care to add.

Then at 10 p.m., in association with the Florida Dance Theatre, Brima will present the Black and White Party, with performances from “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Conundrum”, and additional entertainment from Dj elix. There will be giveaways at midnight, and all proceeds from the giveaways will go to the American Red Cross.

General Manager Matthew Harman said people coming to the party will definitely help their local Red Cross, but so will everyone who comes in the restaurant

“We try to do something every other month to benefit a charity,” said Harman. “Over the summer, we want to make it more regular.”

Every little bit helps, which is something Bell has seen first-hand both as a Florida resident and an American Red Cross volunteer. After seeing Red Cross response to hurricanes in 2004 and 2005, she got involved, got trained in disaster relief, and in the summer of 2006 deployed with a local team to help in the aftermath of floods in upstate New York.

The experience inspired her to enroll in college courses so she can serve the Red Cross in the future as a counselor for people trying to deal with losing loved ones or homes in a disaster.

“When the Red Cross shows up, people feel hope,” Bell said. “(Red Cross volunteers) lend their strength as a whole to people.”

She hopes that people will then pay it forward by helping others and helping their local Red Cross.

“We’re hoping to inspire people to get out and volunteer to help their Red Cross, too,” Bell said.

Brima invites everyone to support your local Red Cross on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 1212 Flightline Drive, Lakeland, FL 33811. Call (863) 619-2100 for details.

The American Red Cross provides immediate emergency assistance based on need, thanks to donations from individuals and businesses in the local community. Only the financial support of the local community makes it possible for your local Red Cross Chapter to provide assistance in times of disaster and maintain public education and Health & Safety training programs. More information is available at http://polkcountyfl.redcross.org or on the national site at www.redcross.org.

The Red Cross, an organization run by local volunteers, depends on community support every day to provide assistance to people in your community. Your support makes Red Cross assistance possible. Please make a financial donation to your local Red Cross.

Haines City family escapes fire

Red Cross volunteers arrive that afternoon to help

HAINES CITY, FL (Feb. 21, 2009) — On Saturday, after a family in Haines City escaped a fire, Red Cross volunteers came to help.

At approximately noon on Saturday, Feb. 21, the smoke alarm went off in an apartment on 22nd Street South in Haines City. The single mother living there told the Red Cross that she ran to the laundry room to extinguish the fire, but couldn’t fight it. She and her two children, 6-years-old and 11-months-old, fled the fire.

They are staying with family. Volunteers with the American Red Cross Polk County Chapter arrived just after 3 p.m. and provided her and her children emergency assistance for groceries and infant supplies, odor-control concentrated cleaner to help salvage items and clothing from the home, comfort kits (personal hygiene kits), T-shirts, teddy bears, and a comforter.

The American Red Cross provides immediate emergency assistance based on need, thanks to donations from individuals and businesses in the local community. Home fires remain the most common disaster responded to by your local Red Cross. To prevent home fires, the American Red Cross is asking people to practice fire safety:

– Keep all potential fuel sources (newspapers, matches, bedding, clothing, carpets, rugs) at least three feet away from heat sources, such as space heaters, fireplaces and stoves.
– Provide constant adult supervision in rooms with lit candles or fires.
– Keep fire in the fireplace by using glass or metal fire screens.
– Never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended. Extinguish the fire before going to bed or leaving the house.
– Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home. Never leave cooking food on the stove unattended
– Turn off portable space heaters every time you leave the room or go to sleep.
– Have wood and coal stoves, fireplaces, and chimneys inspected annually by a professional, and cleaned if necessary.
– If you must use space heaters, place them on a level, hard and nonflammable surface (such as ceramic tile floor), not on rugs or carpets or near bedding or drapes. Keep children and pets away from space heaters.

More information is available at http://polkcountyfl.redcross.org/WinterWeatherSafetyTips2009.htm.

The Red Cross, an organization run by local volunteers, depends on community support every day to provide assistance to people in your community. Your support makes Red Cross assistance possible. Please make a financial donation to your local Red Cross.

Polk Red Cross helps Auburndale family after fire

<!–[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]–><!–[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]–><!–[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]–><!–[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]–>AUBURNDALE, FL (Feb. 11, 2009) – A family that had just moved into their Auburndale home two weeks ago was displaced by fire Wednesday.

Fortunately, volunteers with the American Red Cross Polk County Chapter Disaster Action Team responded at 1:30 p.m. that afternoon to the scene on Edmond Circle to help the family of six – two adults and four children. Volunteers provided them with temporary shelter, emergency assistance for clothing and groceries, comfort kits (personal hygiene kits), blankets, and teddy bear stuffed toys to comfort the children.

During winter months, the number of home fire incidents increases. To prevent home fires, please follow American Red Cross home fire safety tips, available at http://polkcountyfl.redcross.org/WinterWeatherSafetyTips2009.htm.

Your local American Red Cross provides immediate emergency assistance based on need, thanks to donations from both individuals and businesses in your community. Your support makes Red Cross assistance possible. Please donate time or funds your local Red Cross.

Polk Red Cross helps Polk City family after fire

POLK CITY, FL (Feb. 9, 2009) – The American Red Cross Polk County Chapter has helped a Polk City family displaced by fire over the weekend.

 

Volunteers with the chapter’s Disaster Action Team responded Monday afternoon to help a family of four – two adults and two children – displaced Saturday, Feb. 7, when fire damaged their mobile home on Golden Gate Boulevard in Polk City.

 

The family had already taken shelter with family living in the same neighborhood. Volunteers arrived at 2:45 p.m. Monday and provided the family with comfort kits (personal hygiene kits), odor-control concentrated cleaner to help salvage items from the home, emergency assistance for groceries, Red Cross T-shirts and caps, a Red Cross clean-up kit, and a teddy bear to comfort the children.

 

During winter months, the number of home fire incidents increases. To prevent home fires, the American Red Cross is asking people to follow these fire safety tips:

 

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Keep all potential fuel sources (newspapers, matches, bedding, clothing, carpets, rugs) at least three feet away from heat sources, such as space heaters, fireplaces and stoves.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Provide constant adult supervision in rooms with lit candles or fires.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Keep fire in the fireplace by using glass or metal fire screens.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended. Extinguish the fire before going to bed or leaving the house.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home. Never leave cooking food on the stove unattended

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Turn off portable space heaters every time you leave the room or go to sleep.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Have wood and coal stoves, fireplaces, and chimneys inspected annually by a professional, and cleaned if necessary.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>If you must use space heaters, place them on a level, hard and nonflammable surface (such as ceramic tile floor), not on rugs or carpets or near bedding or drapes. Keep children and pets away from space heaters.

 

More information is available at http://polkcountyfl.redcross.org/WinterWeatherSafetyTips2009.htm.

 

The American Red Cross provided immediate emergency assistance based on need, thanks to donations from both individuals and businesses in the local community. Your support makes Red Cross assistance possible. Please support your local Red Cross.

Polk Red Cross responds to two fires in Haines City

HAINES CITY, FL (Feb. 3, 2009) – Red Cross volunteers continue to see home fires in Polk County.

Volunteers with the American Red Cross Polk County Chapter responded Tuesday afternoon to two separate fires in Haines City that affected three families. The local Red Cross has now helped 23 families in just over two weeks, making the last two weeks one of the busiest for fires in Polk County.

Polk Red Cross volunteers arrived at 2:30 p.m. on Remington Place in Haines City and provided the family – two adults and four children – with temporary shelter, comfort kits (personal hygiene kits), odor-control concentrated cleaner to help salvage items from the home, landlord verification forms to aid in relocation, Red Cross T-shirts, and teddy bears to comfort the children.

Volunteers then responded to a fire a duplex on 12th Street North in Haines City. In one apartment, they provided a man with temporary shelter, a comfort kit, emergency assistance for groceries and clothing, and landlord verification forms to help with relocation.

The second apartment had a family of four – two women and one child and a toddler. Volunteers provided them with temporary shelter, comfort kits, emergency assistance for groceries, odor-control concentrated cleaner to help salvage items from the home, landlord verification forms to assist in relocation, and diapers for the youngest child.

These fires now make five fives in three days, including a boarding house fire in Lake Hamilton on Monday, a house fire in Frostproof on Sunday, and a fire in Lakeland on Saturday. Fires have occurred all over Polk County in the past two weeks, (in order of occurrence) in Homeland, Winter Haven, Auburndale, Wahneta, Davenport, Nalcrest (Lake Wales), Bartow, and Lakeland.

Fires increase during cold weather. To prevent home fires, the American Red Cross is asking people to follow fire safety tips:

• Keep all potential fuel sources (newspapers, matches, bedding, clothing, carpets, rugs) at least three feet away from heat sources, such as space heaters, fireplaces and stoves.
• Provide constant adult supervision in rooms with lit candles or fires.
• Keep fire in the fireplace by using glass or metal fire screens.
• Never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended. Extinguish the fire before going to bed or leaving the house.
• Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home. Never leave cooking food on the stove unattended
• Turn off portable space heaters every time you leave the room or go to sleep.
• Have wood and coal stoves, fireplaces, and chimneys inspected annually by a professional, and cleaned if necessary.
• If you must use space heaters, place them on a level, hard and nonflammable surface (such as ceramic tile floor), not on rugs or carpets or near bedding or drapes. Keep children and pets away from space heaters.

More information is available at http://polkcountyfl.redcross.org/WinterWeatherSafetyTips2009.htm.

The American Red Cross provided immediate emergency assistance based on need, thanks to donations from both individuals and businesses in the local community. Your support makes Red Cross assistance possible. Please support your local Red Cross.

Highlands Red Cross helps family displaced from new home by fire

SEBRING, FL (Monday, Feb. 2, 2009) – Monday evening, the American Red Cross helped a Sebring family displaced from their home just as they were moving in.

On Monday, the power was turned on to a home on Fairlawn Drive in Sebring, where a family of five was in the process of moving in. A box left on the stove caught on fire, destroying the kitchen. Highlands Red Cross workers provided the two adults and three children with temporary shelter, emergency assistance for groceries, comfort kits (personal hygiene kits), and odor-control concentrate to help salvage items from the home.

The Highlands Red Cross will keep in touch with the family to provide more immediate emergency assistance, if needed, or referral to other charitable organizations.

Home fires are still the most common local disaster for Red Cross volunteers. Not only do fires happen more often when as weather turns colder and people begin using alternative forms of heat, but other common causes of fires, such as smoldering cigarettes, unattended candles, or kitchen mishaps can cause damaging or deadly fires.

The American Red Cross asks every family to use all precaution with space heaters, cigarettes, and kitchen appliances; to check smoke detector batteries; and to practice fire prevention and escape plans to ensure everyone in the home escapes a fire safely.

Information on preventing home fires is online at http://polkcountyfl.redcross.org or contact your Highlands County office in person at 106 Medical Center Avenue in Sebring, by phone at (863) 386-4440, or online at hcarc@vistanet.net.

The American Red Cross will respond to help people affected by disaster, whether that disaster is a severe storm, flood, tornado, or house fire. Please support your local Red Cross in Highlands County; please call (863) 386-4440 to support your local Red Cross office, or e-mail hcarc@vistanet.net.

Red Cross responds to Lake Hamilton boarding house fire

Fire Marks Third in Three Days, 20 Families Affected in Two Weeks

POLK COUNTY FL (Feb. 2, 2009) – Polk County Red Cross volunteers have had a busy two weeks with house fires.

Volunteers with the American Red Cross Polk County Chapter responded shortly after noon Monday to a boarding house fire on Detour Road in Lake Hamilton. They have made contact with and helped four of the seven residents, and are waiting for the other three to come home from work. All four have received temporary shelter and three of them accepted comfort kits (personal hygiene kits).

It was the third fire in three days. On Saturday, volunteers responded to a fire on Lincoln Avenue in Lakeland, and provided a family of three adults and one child with temporary shelter and emergency assistance for food and clothing.

Then early Sunday morning, volunteers responded to a fire on Snooks Wardlaw Road in Frostproof, where a fire displaced a family of five – two adults and three children. The family had already taken shelter with relatives. Polk Red Cross volunteers provided them with comfort kits, odor-control concentrated cleaner to help salvage items from the home, and teddy bear stuffed toys to comfort the children.

Monday’s fire marked 11 fire incidents in two weeks, with 20 families affected: A total of 31 adults and 11 children.

Fires have occurred all over Polk County in the past two weeks, (in order of occurrence) in Homeland, Winter Haven, Auburndale, Wahneta, Davenport, Nalcrest (Lake Wales), Bartow, and Lakeland. With cold weather on the way, and home heating fires one of the leading causes during winter, the American Red Cross is asking people to follow there tips:

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Keep all potential fuel sources (newspapers, matches, bedding, clothing, carpets, rugs) at least three feet away from heat sources, such as space heaters, fireplaces and stoves.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Provide constant adult supervision in rooms with lit candles or fires.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Keep fire in the fireplace by using glass or metal fire screens.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended. Extinguish the fire before going to bed or leaving the house.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home. Never leave cooking food on the stove unattended

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Turn off portable space heaters every time you leave the room or go to sleep.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Have wood and coal stoves, fireplaces, and chimneys inspected annually by a professional, and cleaned if necessary.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>If you must use space heaters, place them on a level, hard and nonflammable surface (such as ceramic tile floor), not on rugs or carpets or near bedding or drapes. Keep children and pets away from space heaters.

More information is available at http://polkcountyfl.redcross.org/WinterWeatherSafetyTips2009.htm.

The American Red Cross provides immediate emergency assistance based on need, thanks to donations from both individuals and businesses in the local community. Your support makes Red Cross assistance possible. Please support your local Red Cross.