There has been a lot of talk around here about zombies. This got me to thinking about zombies and the Red Cross. Obviously, we’re complimentary groups of people: The Red Cross is well-known because we help people prepare for and respond to emergencies, and, well, a zombie apocalypse is something to be prepared for.

This led me to the interwebs to do some research on this possible Red Cross/zombie relationship, and I found a lot of evidence that led me to believe that there is such a strong connection between us because zombies might actually LOVE the Red Cross. I know zombies are the walking dead, void of all emotions and dead set (pun intended) on consuming brains, but I think there’s some sort of soft spot in their dead hearts for the Red Cross.

Here is my evidence:

Run for Your Lives

This zombie infested run that has the goal of “destryoing” its participants may not seem like the most Red Cross-loving event one could stumble upon; however, the Red Cross is the charitable partner for this race. So technically, the zombies are chasing down runners to support our mission – and I think that’s sweet. I asked the co-race director, Derrick Smith, why he thought this was a good partnership. His response was, “When people think of a true zombie apocalypse scenario there tends to be a lot of bloodshed and general chaos, which is why the Red Cross was a natural fit to partner with. The Red Cross is the top organization out there for taking care of people in emergency situations, so we were more than happy to donate a portion of every ticket sale to their cause.” Photo courtesy of Happy Go Lucky Photography

Night of the Living Donors – Zombie Blood Drive

In Portland, the Zombie Squad took it upon themselves to partner with the local Red Cross to host a blood drive to help them be prepared in case of a zombie invasion. The Zombie Squad has been a great Red Cross partner over the years by helping us spread important disaster preparedness messages (I particularly like their Bug Out Bag) – in fact, their mission is similar to ours: “Zombie Squad’s mission is to educate the public about the importance of personal preparedness and community service, to increase its readiness to respond to disasters such as earthquakes, floods or zombie outbreaks.” Neat-o!

I asked Nate Warren, who helped coordinate the blood drive, why he thought zombies loved the Red Cross so much. His response was, “I think zombies love the Red Cross because, for one, they have an insatiable hunger and we can provide tastier alternatives to the boring and redundant diet of brains. Whether we’re dishing out cookies at blood drives or cooking up meals at disaster sites, it’s nearly impossible to find the Red Cross representing without “noms” nearby. Also, while most scream at the sight of the undead, the Red Cross prides itself on impartiality, and serves as a neutral force in conflicts as guardians of the Geneva Conventions and other treaties surrounding international humanitarian law. Finally, let’s get real: zombies smell and probably don’t know it. It’s time to bring the Red Cross humanitarian mission to the formerly living and reach out with comfort, understanding and rubber gloves.”

Hmmm, good point, Nate.

World Zombie Day
Lastly, I sought out another Red Cross connection – this time in the super prepared state of Colorado. Last year, the chapter published this extensive article on zombie preparedness in honor of World Zombie Day – however, I found that Colorado was far more concerned with helping people prepare for the zombie invasion rather than trying to embrace our undead friends. Patricia Billinger noted, “I think zombies fear the Red Cross because we build the type of neighborhoods that know how to band together, get out and fight back!”

So maybe the relationship between the Red Cross and zombies truly is a complimentary one. Zombies are giving us something to prepare for, and we’re giving our communities the tools and opportunities to be prepared. However, in my mind, if zombies truly didn’t care about YOU or the Red Cross, they wouldn’t be trying to gnaw brains during a race, or showing up to blood drives.

Deep down inside, I believe the zombies want you to be prepared so the unprepared are easier to pick off when the zombie apocalypse happens.

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In April I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Eilat, Israel in support of the Logistics, Relief and Shelter training hosted by the Magen David Adom (MDA) and the Jordan Red Crescent (JRC) Eilat is Israel’s southernmost city, located at the northern tip of the Red Sea adjacent to the Egyptian village of Taba and the Jordanian port city of Aqaba.

After twenty hours of travelling from San Francisco, I arrived in Tel Aviv – tired, but so excited for my first visit to the Middle East. Tel Aviv is officially one of my favorite cities now! It is so alive and cosmopolitan.

During the bus ride from Tel Aviv to Eilat there were miles of agricultural land which turned into miles of open space dotted with Bedouin communities. I was fascinated to learn more about the Bedouin history from one of the volunteers who lives there. We soon found ourselves in a spectacular desert landscape. Watch out – CAMELS on the road. Yes, an everyday occurrence for many – a Kodak moment for Anne.

No rest for the weary, we got right to work the minute we arrived, organizing a simulation of the first 72 hours following an earthquake. In addition to presenting sessions on logistics, shelter, and relief activities, we worked on how to conduct initial assessments, and provided strategies for the integration of assistance from other Red Cross/Red Crescent societies. We worked very long days, but no one minded as we were so excited to share information.

I was fascinated to learn about the expertise of the Magen David Adom and Jordan Red Crescent societies. MDA serves as the ambulance and paramedic service for Israel. They do not have as robust a role in disaster response as we do domestically, but they are exploring ways to build this capacity. The JRC volunteers and staff have become very proficient in establishing refugee camps and settlements, but also wanted to expand their understanding of disaster response operations.

We broke into small groups. My group met with the local emergency manager for the city of Eilat to learn about their response plans and local supply caches. I coached my team to inquire about local government’s expectations of the MDA. One team member asked the city manager, “What does success look like for you?” I felt like a proud parent!!

Dr. Mohammad Al-Hadid, President of the Jordan Red Crescent and Dr. Noam Yifrach, Chairman of MDA Executive Committee, made the trek to Eilat to express their gratitude to all who participated, and reiterate their commitment to working together. This was quite moving knowing the obstacles these societies face everyday.

Another five-hour bus ride and an early morning trip to the airport had me headed back to California. I am still riding my “high” from this trip. This was one of the most rewarding Red Cross experiences I have had to date – and having been with the Red Cross for over ten years, that is saying something! To all of my new friends and colleagues, Toda and Shukran.

Anne Reynolds is the Disaster Officer for California, Oregon, and the islands
she is also a member of the International Disaster Roster

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Welcome to the video only edition of “What We’re Reading”! Below is a round up of some interesting videos we’ve seen about the Red Cross lately.

Penn State University – Lehigh Campus (Center Valley, Pa.) students John K. Roam, Mandy Marquardt, Kayla Butz and Shirali Patel completed this video as part of their English 202 class project.

[Canadian Red Cross] – One year has passed since wildfires swept through northern Alberta, devastating homes and livelihoods. Since the disaster struck, Canadian Red Cross has provided assistance to families, individuals and community groups on their long road to recovery.

[International Committee of the Red Cross] – Photojournalist André Liohn was recently awarded the 2011 Robert Capa Gold Medal Award for “photographic reporting from abroad requiring exceptional courage and enterprise.” In this short film, Mr. Liohn speaks about the meaning of that award, photojournalism and his work in Libya.

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“Nursing is an art, and if it is to be made an art, it requires an exclusive devotion as hard a preparation as any painter’s or sculptor’s work, for what is the having to do with dead canvas or dead marble, compared with having to do with the living body? Nursing is one of the Fine Arts; I had almost said, the finest of Fine Arts.”
~ Florence Nightingale

When we consider our health care, we as a society tend to focus on our doctors; their experience, their credentials, and recommendations from family and friends help us determine into whose hands we place our lives. And while yes, our doctors are important (they’re the ones removing tumors, transplanting organs, setting bones, and prescribing medications, and we want and expect them to do all these things WELL), our overall experiences as patients often have much more to do with the care we receive from our nurses than anything else.

Nurses – who work in clinics, hospitals, emergency rooms, schools, early childhood programs, and homeless shelters – support our doctors in a way that allows them to better focus on their responsibilities and perform in their roles within the health care arena. But more importantly, nurses care for and both physically and emotionally support us and our families throughout our recoveries.

Nursing is not an easy job. I worked for one summer as a nurse’s aide and knew after less than a week that nursing wasn’t the career for me. But my mom has been a nurse for more than 35 years. At times I witnessed the frustration that comes with the job: among other things, wanting so badly to help patients who refuse to help themselves. At other times I witnessed the pain that comes with the job: patients grow sicker, and some, inevitably, pass away. But she, along with thousands of nurses throughout the country, keeps at it. Day in, day out, through the frustration and the pain, because nurses believe that what they do makes a difference.

This week, from May 6th (National Nurses Day) through May 12th (Florence Nightingale’s, the founder of modern nursing, birthday), our country celebrates National Nurses Week. These seven days provide Americans with an opportunity to recognize and thank nurses in all settings for their continued and selfless service to their patients and communities.

Interestingly, nurses have always played a significant role in the services provided by the American Red Cross. Red Cross nurses offered their skills and support during times of disaster and conflict beginning with the 1888 Yellow Fever epidemic and the 1889 Johnstown floods. The Red Cross Nursing Service was officially established by Jane Delano in 1909, and has been a leading player in the evolution of nursing and nursing leadership throughout the United States ever since.

Today, more than 20,000 nurses in both paid and volunteer positions are involved with the American Red Cross. These nurses:
- Provide direct services as members of local Disaster Action Teams and by staffing Health Fairs, volunteering in military clinics and hospitals, promoting blood collection, and caring for the public at community first aid stations.
- Teach and develop courses such as CPR, First Aid, Automated External Defibrillator (AED), Disaster Health Services, Nurse Assistant Training, Babysitting, and Family Caregiving.
- Act in management and supervisory roles as Chapter and Blood Services region executives.
- Function in governance roles, from the local board level all the way to the National Board of Governors.

The American Red Cross is committed to supporting and promoting the involvement of nurses, primarily volunteer, throughout the organization and in this vein (pun intended) has created a National Nursing Committee and the Office of the Chief Nurse to direct these efforts.

The American Red Cross Nursing Vision is as follows: American Red Cross Nursing…a presence throughout…uplifting lives with compassion and special skills…competent and prepared…strengthening the organization with innovation and support…enhancing the Red Cross.

This week we recognize ALL nurses – those involved with our organization as well as those providing services elsewhere – for their presence, for uplifting lives with compassion and special skills, for their competence and preparedness, for strengthening our communities with innovation and support, and for enhancing our lives.

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Are you looking for a summer job? One that will be fun, meaningful, rewarding, and always in high demand? One that will put you in a position to actually save lives?

If so, consider becoming a lifeguard!

Lifeguards are responsible for the safety and rescue of people in a defined body of water, such as a swimming pool or a swimming area in a lake, as well as in the area immediately surrounding the body of water (the deck around a swimming pool or the beach next to a lake). Taking a page from the mission statement of the American Red Cross, the ultimate goal of a lifeguard is to “prevent, prepare for, and respond to (water-related) emergencies”.

Available to individuals 15 and older*, American Red Cross lifeguard training is – as it should be, considering lifeguards are literally guarding the lives of the children and adults at their swimming venue – extensive and comprehensive. Class participants are taught CPR/AED, First Aid, surveillance and rescue skills, and risk management through videos, group discussions, and hands-on practice both in and out of the swimming pool. Participants are also required to pass three separate swimming challenges, as only strong swimmers are eligible to become lifeguards.

My sister became a lifeguard the MINUTE she turned 16. She began working as a lifeguard one month later, and now, 14 years later, she still lifeguards and teaches swimming lessons every summer. (She’s an elementary school teacher, which allows her to spend her summers at the pool.) She’s gone on to become an American Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor, Water Safety Instructor, and Instructor Trainer, and has made a life and a living out of teaching children how to swim and keeping both children and adults safe when they enjoy time in the water.

So if spending the summer helping people prevent, prepare for, and respond to water-related emergencies sounds like your cup of tea, consider becoming certified as an American Red Cross lifeguard and pursing a job at your swimming pool or beach.

To find lifeguarding classes, swim lessons, or water safety instructor courses in your area, contact your local aquatic facility and ask them about their Red Cross training courses OR contact your local Red Cross Aquatics Representative.

*Tweens and teens between the ages of nine and 15 can train to become junior lifeguards, a position that allows them to learn from and work with experienced lifeguards in preparation for eventually receiving their lifeguard certification.

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This Weekly Worldwide Wrap-Up is courtesy of Scott Waggoner, from Cross Blog: Award-winning Red Cross news and views from Oregon and beyond

Welcome to the Weekly Worldwide Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you. It’s a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work…

YEMEN: In recent weeks there has been an increase in violence in southern Yemen. Clashes in Lawdar have left hundreds of casualties, and a new wave of displacement in the wake of the fighting. After lengthy negotiations with all parties, ICRC teams re-entered the area in mid-April to distribute food and other items to 36,000 people. In addition to enduring the hardship caused by fighting, Yemen has been lashed by widespread heavy rain in the north. In response to the flooding, the ICRC has provided around 1,000 relief kits, food to more than 2,100, treated more than 60,000 animals, and donated 500,000 measles vaccines.

GAMBIA: Young people from the Gambia Red Cross Society have put together a 15-person “Humanity Band” aimed at developing the musical talents of young volunteers while fundraising for Red Cross programs and increasing public awareness of disease control and prevention. An estimated 500,000 people have been reached through the music and proactive health messages.

PHILIPPINES: In an effort to raise environmental awareness among youth, the Philippine Red Cross developed the “Run, Plant and Care for the Mangroves and our Environment” project to help better prepare for adverse climate change effects. In response to the decline of mangrove forests, the planting of mangrove trees is needed to help protect fishpond dikes and homes from sea surges and storm damage.

LEBANON: In collaboration with the Belgian Red Cross, the Lebanese Red Cross youth department has been pursuing the “Dissemination of Humanitarian Norms” project. The project encourages young people to think carefully about the consequences of conflicts, embrace humanitarian behaviors, and become responsible citizens that act according to Red Cross Red Crescent principles. Since 2009, the project has successfully reached 101,000 young people and mobilized 750 volunteers across the country.

GLOSSARY:

ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

PHOTO:

The ICRC providing support for the internally displaced persons camp at Al-Jabanah, Yemen. (C. Martin-Chicco, ICRC)

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Contribution by Guest Blogger: Sandy Tesch Wilkins

Did you know that Henry Dunant founded the Red Cross Red Crescent network when he was only 31? Pretty impressive! Today, on World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, we celebrate his birthday and the important work of the organization around the world.

The Red Cross is serious about building up youth and young adults as volunteers both on the ground and in the boardroom. Youth leadership structures like the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent’s (IFRC) Youth Commission and the American Red Cross National Youth Council give young people a voice at the highest levels of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement and the opportunity to tailor their volunteer work to their own passions and the needs of their communities. As of this September, I will have volunteered for the Red Cross for 14 years – literally half my life – and I can confidently say I wouldn’t be where I am today without the Red Cross.

As a member of the IFRC Youth Commission, I’d like to introduce you to young people who are following in Dunant’s footsteps, my fellow Youth Commission members. I am incredibly fortunate to serve with this group of passionate, dedicated young volunteers.

Our commission recently had its inaugural meeting in Geneva and though it was a first for many of us, we bonded within a few hours, united by a shared love of public service and the Red Cross and Red Crescent network. Over two days we put together an ambitious work plan that will create even more opportunities for young people to develop their leadership skills and participate in governance and decision-making at all levels.

One of the highlights of our Youth Commission’s work plan for 2011-2013 is the focus on supporting regional youth networks – geographically-based groups of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies that share best practices and pooled resources to organize resource-intensive but essential projects like youth leadership trainings. By encouraging youth from different National Societies to communicate, work together and support one another, often through free channels like Skype, the Youth Commission will amplify the great work of young Red Cross Red Crescent supporters around the world.

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This Weekly Worldwide Wrap-Up is courtesy of Scott Waggoner, from Cross Blog: Award-winning Red Cross news and views from Oregon and beyond

Welcome to the Weekly Worldwide Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you. It’s a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work…

RWANDA: Recent heavy rain in Rwanda has led to flooding that has
affected water supplies and damaged roads, schools, clinics and over
700 homes. The Rwandan Red Cross Society is currently assisting displaced people in flood-affected areas of the country
by distributing relief items to 300 households, offering psychosocial
support, assisting communities to recover bodies, and tracing displaced
children.

PAKISTAN: This past weekend ICRC received confirmation that staff member Khalil Rasjed Dale, a 60-year-old health-program manager in Pakistan, was murdered almost four months after his kidnapping. He was abducted by unidentified armed men on January 5th. Khalil worked for the ICRC and the British Red Cross for many years, carrying out assignments in Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq.

UKRAINE: Last week marked the 22 year anniversary of the nuclear explosion near Chernobyl in northern Ukraine, which affected over 8 million people across Ukraine, Belarus and parts of Russia. Since 1990, the Red Cross Societies of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, in concert with the IFRC, have run the Chernobyl Humanitarian Assistance and Rehabilitation Program. The main focus of the project remains thyroid cancer screening for people who were under 40 years old at the time of the nuclear accident. In 2011 alone, 115,072 patients were screened as part of the program with diagnosis of thyroid cancer confirmed in 186 patients.

SAUDI ARABIA: This week the Saudi Red Crescent Authority donated
one million dollars as a contribution to the IFRC Digital Divide
initiative. The initiative is designed to build a technologically integrated Red Cross Red Crescent community
that better serves humanitarian needs. The Red Crescent is the primary
organization through which the Saudi government channels its
humanitarian assistance.

GLOSSARY:

ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

PHOTO:

The Rwandan Red Cross Society sending out volunteers to flood affected areas to help rescue and support thousands of people.

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Did you know that more people feel prepared for a zombie apocalypse than for a tornado? Last week, we asked people on Facebook what they felt most prepared for and the results seemed to suggest that, thanks to movies such as Zombieland and video games like Resident Evil, the public is pretty confident in their ability to deal with the undead.

Our Facebook fans came up with most of these “disasters”.

Okay, so we know that a Facebook poll is not really what you use for reliable results, but I was so glad that we had asked the question. Why? Because I realized that I really haven’t the faintest idea how I would prepare for a zombie apocalypse.

Fearing for my future survivor-turned-zombie-dinner self, I turned to Pinterest to get some inspiration for doomsday prepping.

Little did I know that there was actually a wealth of information and ideas waiting for me on Pinterest boards! In fact, prepping for the zombie apocalypse looks extremely similar to prepping for natural disasters that happen every single year. After browsing for a while, I had to share some of my favorites here on our blog. Click on the images to see the pins and learn more:

1. Emergency kits
These are popular items on Pinterest – and for good reason! The easiest step to take in your preparedness journey.

For more interesting emergency kit ideas, check out what other Pinterest users have pinned.

2. Providing for your basic needs
Water and food are super important – there are lots of tricks out there for people willing to learn how to survive with very little!

3. That stuff you might not think to prepare
There are so many creative ideas on these boards! Lots of little things outside of the necessities that you may not think about.

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I recently did a “run” with about 20,000 of my closest friends. I thought I’d hop in and have fun, enjoy the scenery, then call it a day. Now, I’m using the term “run” instead of run because the temperatures that descended upon the pack that day did not allow for too much running. The temperature at the finish line was close to 90 degrees – a completely dangerous situation for people who thought they were going to run that day.

Basically, a pleasant jaunt turned into a 15 mile survival strategy. Luckily, my Red Cross First Aid training – coupled with my MacGyver-like survival skills – helped me avoid becoming one of the 2,000+ people that sought medical treatment that day.

Issue #1: Heat
Now one wouldn’t tend to think that they could get COLD when it’s in the 80s. However, that’s exactly what happened to me. I started to get goosebumps, I started shivering, and I actually felt COLD. My Red Cross training threw up a HUGE red flag and I remembered that these are symptoms of heat exhaustion. I immediately stopped myself under a tree and sat out until I felt a little better. However, that episode took so much out of me, that getting to my meeting spot was difficult and I had to stay hyper-concious of what my body was telling me. I had to take precautions to keep my core temperature down, so I dramatically slowed my pace, found some ice to put on my neck, and stopped pushing myself.

Issue #2: Hydration
When it’s warm outside, you need to be sure that you’re staying adequately hydrated. However, during warmer days, slower runners completing long distances are at risk of over-hydrating because they’re exposed to the harsh elements for long periods of time and tend to drink more than their body needs. I realized that I was sucking down way too much water. I actually THREW AWAY my water bottle to prevent over-hydration. Sounds completely counter-intuitive, but over-hydration – or hyponatremia – is dangerous and can result in serious bodily damage.

Down the road, I found a small child holding a bag of ice. He became my best friend – for three seconds. I grabbed the bag and started slowly sucking on ice cubes, hoping that the small amounts of water would prevent me from consuming too much water, and that the ice cubes would help bring my core temperature down a litle bit. It was the weirdest thing I’ve ever done, but it worked. Needless to say, it only looked a little weird that after I finished my “run” I was pouring coconut water into my bag of ice and sucking it back out.

Issue #3: Clothing
I had on a loose-fitting, light colored tank top and comfortable running shorts. I also wore a hat, sunglasses and waterproof sunscreen to protect myself from the sun. Where I failed miserably is that I wore a BLACK hat (it was all I had), so needless to say, after about 5 miles, I tossed the hat to the side of the course because my head was roasting (which may have contributed to the heat exhaustion issue).

Note to self: buy a light colored hat.

As it continued to get warmer, I was really tempted to take off my tank top and run in my sports bra. However, I remembered that the more skin I had exposed to the sun, the worse off I was going to be later down the road. I kept finding neighborly people with their sprinklers running so I could get my tank top damp every so often and keep my temperature down while keeping my top on.

I’ve been running for years, but after this “run” I learned that you should never push yourself in conditions you’re not familiar with – it’s just not safe. I’m looking forward to running with a few thousand more friends this weekend…where the temperatures are expected to be much more cooperative.

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