Dear Friends:

I hope that you have been staying cool during this horrific heatwave.  While we are dealing with deadly heat here in our region, Louisiana is facing an even more deadly crisis. Historic flooding continues to submerge vast swaths of southern Louisiana trapping thousands in their homes, requiring water rescues of over 20,000 people, and forcing thousands of others to evacuate. The Red Cross is there providing shelter for over 10,600 people in at least 50 shelters as of last night. The National Guard is also present with more than 1700 troops mobilized and more are on the way, more than 200 roads are closed, and at least 4 people have died as a result of these floods.  This is an AP aerial photo along the flooded Tangipahoa River near Amite, Louisiana, Aug. 13, 2016.

On Sunday night, the President declared a major disaster in Louisiana, specifically in the parishes of Tangipahoa, St. Helena, East Baton Rouge and Livingston—we expect more to be added to the list. The Red Cross response: is now a Level 7 National Operation, which means we’re anticipating incremental costs to exceed $10 million.  We need your help to be able to help the people of Southern Louisiana.   Please consider making a donation to disaster relief and opening a micro site for your employees and team members to help support our response to this devastation.

Everyone’s help is needed to support the Red Cross response to this tragic flooding in Louisiana and to ensure that we can continue to respond to the critical work here at home helping our neighbors with home fires and other local disasters.  Should you be able to help people affected by disasters like floods in Louisiana and countless other crisis, you can make a gift to American Red Cross Disaster Relief.  Your generosity enables the Red Cross to respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small.

Thank you for your support and consideration.   Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Renée

Judge Renée Cardwell Hughes (Ret.)
Regional CEO
American Red Cross Eastern PA
2221 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-299-4011

Fireworks and backyard barbeques go hand-in-hand with Fourth of July. Millions look forward to the holiday’s festivities, and the American Red Cross wants to keep everyone is safe during the celebration.

Whether you’re driving to the beach or firing up the grill, follow these steps to enjoy your Fourth of July weekend safely.
Red Cross Fireworks Safety
Everyone looks forward to watching fireworks pop on the Fourth of July. Professional firework displays at a public venue are the best way to enjoy the celebration, but if you’re lighting fireworks at home, here are some tips for doing so safely.

1. Never give fireworks to children, and follow the instructions carefully on the packaging.
2. Make sure a water supply is nearby.
3. Always wear eye protection if you’re the one setting off fireworks.
4. Set off one firework at a time.
5. Do not try to relight a “dud” firework.
6. Do not point or throw fireworks at vehicles, animals, people or anything flammable.

Red Cross Grilling Safety
When you fire up the grill this Fourth of July, safe grilling practices can prevent burns and injuries. Hundreds of people get hurt from coal and charcoal grills each year, but following these grilling procedures will ensure your backyard barbeque goes without a hitch.

1. Someone should always watch the grill while it’s in use. Never leave it unsupervised.
2. Do not grill inside a tent, house, camper or enclosed area of any kind.
3. All pets and young children should keep a safe distance from the grill.
4. Make sure your grill is a safe distance from your house, deck, trees or anything that could catch fire.
5. When preparing food, use long-handled tools made for grilling to prevent burns and injuries.

Red Cross Highway Safety
Thousands of people have a favorite getaway spot for celebrating Fourth of July weekend. If you’re driving to the shore, the mountains or somewhere in your favorite city, the American Red Cross offers these five tips to help you drive safely on the highway.

1. Observe all speed limits and make sure passengers buckle their seatbelts.
2. Never drink and drive under any circumstances.
3. Your eyes should be on the road at all times. Never make calls or texts on a cell phone while you’re behind the wheel.
4. Proceed with caution when driving through construction and work zones.
5. Make sure the lights and windows on your vehicle are clean. That way, the driver can see the road clearly when it’s dark out.
6. Make sure your headlights are on when you’re driving at night or through inclement weather.

Red Cross Apps
The American Red Cross apps for iOS and Android provide emergency prevention and preparedness tips for home fires, injuries and more. Each can be downloaded for free in the app stores or at redcross.org/apps.

The Red Cross Emergency App offers tips on home fire prevention and steps outlining what to do if one occurs. A Family Safe feature is also included with the app, and can help you stay in touch with loved ones during disasters both big and small.

Our Monster Guard: Prepare For Emergencies App is a great tool for educating children about home fire prevention and other emergencies. With the app’s fun, gaming environment, children learn how to avoid emergencies by earning points and incentives.

The American Red Cross First Aid App offers expert advice to treat broken bones, burns, cardiac and breathing emergencies.

What You Can Do
Visit redcross.org/homefires to find out how you can prevent, prepare and protect yourself from home fire. To become a volunteer or find the location of a smoke alarm installation event, contact the American Red Cross Eastern Pennsylvania Region.

You can also visit redcross.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS to make a donation to Red Cross Disaster Relief. You can also text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Your donation to Disaster Relief will be used to prepare, respond to, and help people respond to emergencies big and small across the country. The American Red Cross responds to nearly 70,000 disasters annually, including wildfires, home fires and more. To find out how past donations have helped American Red Cross Disaster Relief, visit redcross.org.

Team work. Forward thinking.  Understanding personalities.  These were all phrases that regional disaster staff used when describing what they learned from the disaster course they participated in over the past two days, called Leadership Development Training.  This course was designed to teach participants to approach a disaster by developing progressive strategies throughout a relief operation, while not only anticipating what the next move is, but then how to act, while making decisions as a team.

The interesting aspect of this training is how it is presented.  It’s often compared to Monopoly, consisting of a large game board and play pieces that represent resources, both human and material.  Given a realistic scenario the group was tasked to make decisions on allocating these resources based on what they perceive may happen during a disaster relief operation, often times making judgement calls without all the information.  The event they were given spanned over eight days with various situations.  The group had to work together to make sure the clients and communities that were affected from the disaster, were appropriately helped through response and into recovery, while at the same time following a budget.

The disaster department is comprised of unique staff.  They range from a few months in their role to over 25 years of experience.  They bring different educational backgrounds, career paths, perspectives and ideas from all over the region from Philadelphia to Scranton and beyond.  Each would describe themselves differently in how they learn, how they communicate, or how they interact with others.  However, despite the diversity, over the two days one thing was evident- they were a team.   They worked seamlessly together, talking through decisions and possible outcomes while role playing in activities that were outside their comfort.  In the end, successfully played, all were winners.

More often than not, the job of any disaster staff is strenuous and consuming.  But every day they work together towards the same mission.  Through their teamwork, they will be successful.  They can tackle the impossible when they work together. Judge Renee Hughes, the Regional CEO of the Eastern PA Region, often quotes the great athlete, Muhammad Ali, “…Impossible is not a fact.  It’s an opinion.  Impossible is not a declaration.  It’s a dare.  Impossible is potential.  Impossible is temporary.  Impossible is nothing.”  As a team, they can get through anything.  They are continuing to learn, train and better prepare for when the time comes.  They are the Eastern Pennsylvania Region, Disaster Staff.

Situated close to the center of the Eastern Pennsylvania Region is Schuylkill County, a large footprint of once coal mining towns that still permeate the landscape.  Some would call it a very unassuming area, but residents there are proud to call themselves “Skooks.”

Over the years, Schuylkill County has suffered many house fires, from single family homes to large row homes, ignited and brought to the ground.  Sadly, fatalities from fires have also occurred throughout this footprint.

As part of the American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, we have been diligently scheduling smoke alarm installation events in conjunction with preparedness fire safety education throughout the region.  This campaign has been the forefront in our fight to reduce these fire deaths and injuries not only in our region, but across the country.

The Red Cross held two smoke alarm installation events previously in Schuylkill County, one in Shenandoah and the other in Pottsville.  Typical partnerships include local emergency management, along with the local fire departments and other local organizations that want to participate in the initiative. Prior event partnerships have included United Way during the United Way Day of Caring.

On Monday, June 28^th another event was conducted in Pottsville.  This impromptu event was set into motion after another fire fatality occurred in Pottsville the previous week.  The home where the fire occurred did not have smoke alarms which highlights the importance of this program even more.

During this event, Red Cross partnered with Mountain Home Restoration.  51 smoke alarms were successfully installed throughout the day.  More of the community has been educated on the importance of fire escape plans and fire safety information.

Executive Director of the Tri-County Chapter of the American Red Cross Adrian Grieve stated, “Mountain Home Restoration really sees the importance of this program and stepped up to provide financial support.  Some of their staff assisted with installs and provided lunch for all who attended.  They have also committed to support the next install event in October.”

As a region, we look forward to continuing the American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, working through old-fashioned neighbor-to-neighbor outreach.  Through this method and with our community partners, we will save lives, reduce injuries, and cut down on needless losses.

If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer and helping with the program, visit: www.redcross.org/volunteer and find your local chapter.

NO MORE FIRE DEATHS!

Over the past weekend, we lost seven (7) residents in our region due to fire.  Fire fatalities are completely preventable.  Although these fires occurred in different neighborhoods each shares one common factor – no working smoke alarms and no fire escape plan.  Smoke alarms and escape plans save lives.  Period.  The American Red Cross in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group and the Philadelphia Fire Department (PFD) analyzed five (5) years of fire data and substantiated what many Red Cross volunteers and fire fighters have known for years: fire fatalities are 70% more likely to occur without smoke alarms.   The smoke alarm is an early warning device.  It alerts a family that there is a problem but it is not enough.

 When a fire occurs, you have two minutes or LESS to get out of a burning building.  Fire escape plans help a family to understand exactly what to do and where to go when a fire occurs in their home. The combination of working smoke alarms and a fire escape plan dramatically increases the odds of survival.  During a pilot program in the City of Philadelphia, in which the Red Cross and PFD installed 10 year lithium powered smoke alarms and educated the families on fire escape plans, there were no fire fatalities.  To the contrary, three (3) families experienced fires after receiving 10 year lithium powered smoke alarms AND a fire escape plan and there were no fatalities!

There is no reason for anyone to die from a fire!  Please contact the American Red Cross and your local fire department for more information.  If you cannot afford smoke alarms, we can help.  Every family needs a fire escape plan.  Contact us, we will help.  Together we can ensure there are NO MORE FIRE DEATHS.

Nothing can adequately prepare you for the life altering impact of a fire in your home.

Even people with good insurance can never fully be made whole again. Losing your home to a fire is heartbreaking. Members of our staff here at NRG learned that first hand when they had the privilege of visiting Red Cross House, a one-of-a-kind facility right here in Philadelphia.

Red Cross House is a home for people who just lost theirs to a fire or other disaster. No other city in America has a Red Cross House. Nearly 1,000 people, 350 families, a year stay at Red Cross House. During our staff’s visit to Red Cross House, they were moved by the resiliency of the people staying there and the commitment of Red Cross staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to help families adjust to their new reality.  Everyone was impressed by how nice the rooms were and the care taken to ensure residents had three healthy meals a day. All of us at NRG are especially grateful because Red Cross House helped one of our employees immediately after a fire in her home until other arrangements could be made.

Red Cross House, however, is now 12 years old and needs some capital improvements, including new air conditioning units for the 25 individual suites. Summers can get quite hot in Philadelphia, so proper air conditioning is essential. That is why NRG, via its retail foundation, is donating more than $35,000 to Red Cross House to buy the number of air conditioners it still needs. The air conditioners are among the most energy efficient models available and will last for many years to come. The donation is part of NRG’s commitment to not only Philadelphia and the Red Cross, but also to the mission of energy efficiency. It’s the least we can do to help Red Cross House help future disaster survivors and for our employee who thanks God every day for the Red Cross.

We invite you now to help support Red Cross House and the hundreds of families that would have nowhere to go if it didn’t exist. One of the ways you can do that is by attending the annual Red Ball, April 2^nd at Lincoln Financial Field. NRG is a platinum sponsor. This is the first time the red-tie gala will be held at the home of the Eagles. As an added bonus, NRG, the official energy partner of the Philadelphia Eagles, has arranged for an Eagles player to sign autographs for and take photos with VIP ticketholders. So come on out for a great night that supports an even greater cause. Visit theredball.org for more details and to purchase tickets.

On behalf of NRG and its 150 Philadelphia based employees, thank you.

Mike Starck
General Manager, NRG Retail East Region