Charity Navigator rating is worth money

What is the Red Cross' Four Star Charity Navigator rating worth? In at least one instance, it was worth $800.

When a woman came in to ask about a first aid flip chart she had obtained from the Red Cross several years, I told her I was not familiar with that product, but I would look through the brochures and fliers that I had. I  had no luck finding what she wanted. I told her I would check with other chapters and online to see if I could find what she wanted.

At that point, she told me she wanted to make a year-end charitable donation to the Red Cross. She expressed concern about charities that waste money on administrative costs and have less left over for their clients. I reminded her that the Red Cross has the coveted Four Star rating from Charity Navigator. She handed me a $200 check and continued to ask about other charities. I went to www.charitynavigator.org and searched for each charity she mentioned. Some had three-star ratings and some had four stars. I showed her the percentage of income the Red Cross uses for administrative costs and fundraising and the 92 percent of income that the Red Cross spends on its programs, according to Charity Navigator's calculations.

As we talked, she decided she would write another check to the Red Cross, this one for $600. It was the Charity Navigator rating and transparency of Red Cross finances that prompted her to quadruple her donation.

Trustworthiness and transparency are important for charitable donors.

2011: Year of Disasters and Red Cross Relief

As 2011 speeds to a close, millions of Americans will remember it as a disastrous year. It was a year in which 46 of the 50 states experienced a major disaster of one form or another. Wildfires in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Florida and Oklahoma; tornadoes in 18 states; flooding in 20 states; a hurricane that swamped most of the East Coast from the Carolinas to Maine -- these are the events for which 2011 will be remembered.

Overseas, an earthquake and tsunami turned into the worst disaster in Japan since World War II. American Red Cross has provided assistance to the Japanese Red Cross, even as America continues to help with the earthquake recovery in Haiti, now almost two years old.

In eastern North Carolina, the April tornadoes, which claimed two dozen lives, and Hurricane Irene, which brought powerful winds, heavy flooding, power outages and widespread misery, defined this year. It was a year of disaster, but also a year of disaster relief. A total of 759 Red Cross staff and volunteers responded to help victims of Hurricane Irene.They opened 57 shelters, served 164,753 meals and provided overnight accommodations in shelters 8,038 times as eastern North Carolina residents fled the hurricane's winds, flooding and power outages. It was the largest sheltering operation in North Carolina since Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

Everyone hopes 2012 will be a safer, quieter year in terms of natural disasters, if not in terms of politics. But no one can predict how many hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes or wildfires we might have in the next 12 months. We can only predict that the Red Cross will be needed and will have to be ready when the call comes.

To make sure the Red Cross is ready and is able to deliver the services the public needs, volunteer in 2012 for your local Red Cross chapter, or give generously to support the Red Cross through your monetary donation. Give at your local chapter office, online at www.redcross.org, by calling 1-800-RED CROSS or by sending a check to P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

Violent war games are not war crimes

The blogosphere is all atwitter with reports that the Red Cross is proposing that gamers who play violent war games on the Xbox, Nintendo or whatnot should be charged with war crimes if their avatars violate international law, i.e., the rules of war.

It's not true!

The kernel of truth behind this hysteria is that the International Committee of the Red Cross, at a meeting in Geneva, raised the question of how war-like video games might be used to promote respect for international law. The proposal was to work with the gaming community to promote international humanitarian law. There never was a proposal to charge gamers for committing "virtual crimes," which all agree would be ludicrous.

However, the ICRC's proposal raises legitimate issues in a world where insurgencies, guerrilla movements and terrorist organizations operate outside the control of recognized sovereign governments. Promoting respect for international humanitarian law and the dignity of individual combatants or bystanders is a worthy cause. The gaming community could make a great contribution to this cause by making international law an element of their game strategies or tactics.

The American Red Cross is not the same organization as the International Committee for the Red Cross. Both organizations are part of the global Red Cross and Red Crescent network, but they operate separately. The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization based in the United States, whose mission is to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. The ICRC is an independent organization providing humanitarian protection and assistance for victims of war and armed violence.

The American Red Cross considers a discussion of international humanitarian law and the rules of war to be healthy, but it does not support (nor does the ICRC) a campaign against the video gaming industry.

Thanks to volunteers as Hurricane Season ends

Charley Shimanski, senior vice president of disaster services for the American Red Cross, has sent an email to Red Cross volunteers and staff thanking them for their work during Hurricane Season and throughout the year.

Here is a portion of that email:

As we reach the end of another Atlantic hurricane season, I want to say thank you to all the disaster services volunteer staff and paid staff that stood tall during the storms.  We have not experienced a hurricane that swept across the eastern seaboard since Hurricane Isabel in 2003.  While Irene proved to be less than predicted, it caused millions of people in over fifteen states to think about disaster preparedness, to access Red Cross shelter information, and to seek assistance with disaster-caused needs through you and your colleagues in Red Cross vests.

Throughout the hurricane season, and during the spring storms of 2011, you were there for our constituents.  24,000 disaster volunteers accepted Level 2+ disaster assignments so far this year, and thousands of you also volunteered on countless single family disaster emergencies in regions across the country. ...

While our Atlantic Hurricane season comes to an end, our readiness does not.  Disaster preparedness and response are a constant occupation.  Unlike the hurricane seasons, sudden onset disasters, flash floods, tornadoes and man-made catastrophes come with little or no warning.  We must be constantly ready, fully prepared and available to respond anywhere and at any time.  The American public expects nothing less, and we are privileged to have their confidence and support during times of disaster.

This year, give a gift that really matters

What do you want for Christmas?

That might be a common question as the holidays approach, but a new poll has found that most adults really don't want more "stuff" and would prefer that gift budgets be invested in more worthy causes. Seventy-nine percent of respondents in the poll said they would prefer a donation to a charity in their honor than a gift they wouldn't use.

The poll also found that most Americans think it's important to continue to give to charitable organizations, even in times of economic distress. Despite static incomes and rising expenses, most Americans want to give to charities and plan to do so this year.

The American Red Cross has an answer for those who want to give something that matters for their Christmas gifts. The Red Cross Holiday Giving Catalog, which is available online at www.redcross.org, shows what donations of different sizes can provide for Red Cross clients. Twenty dollars, for example, can provide a phone card for a deployed soldier to call home.Thirty dollars can provide blankets for five disaster victims. One hundred dollars will provide hot meals for 10 people in a disaster shelter. Print copies of the Holiday Giving Catalog are available at local Red Cross chapters.

Give a gift that really matters. Your family and friends will appreciate it more than another doo-dad or trinket.

Thank a veteran

Veterans Day is fast approaching, and the American Red Cross reminds everyone to show your appreciation for what veterans have done for this country and for you. This link offers some suggestions of ways to thank a veteran. The first suggestion on the list is to sign a card that will go to an active duty service member or veteran as part of the Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign.

Visitors to the Red Cross tent at Wilson's Whirligig Festival this weekend (Nov. 5-6) will have the opportunity to sign a holiday card that will be distributed to a service member, wounded service member, veterans hospital patient or veteran. Other card-signing events are planned throughout the region until Dec. 9. Individuals can send cards directly to the Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign by sending a signed cards (no gifts, money or other inserts are allowed) to Holiday Mail for Heroes, P.O. Box 5456, Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456. Cards will be screened for biohazards in accordance with Pentagon regulations and distributed to recipients at home and abroad.

Halloween safety is still on Red Cross' mind

A generation ago, the Red Cross initiated a Halloween safety program in response to a series of reports of people poisoning or sabotaging children's "treats." Hospitals opened their radiation departments to X-ray treats after razor blades or other sharp objects were found in kids' apples or other treats. Wilson's Red Cross had a "Safety Pumpkin" visit elementary schools and day-care centers to offer tips to trick-or-treaters.

These ghastly "tricks" have abated over the years, and the Safety Pumpkin program has gone on recess. But Halloween safety is still a concern for the Red Cross.

This week, the American Red Cross has offered these tips for trick-or-treaters and parents as they look ahead to Monday, Oct. 31:

As ghosts and vampires get ready to roam the streets, the American Red Cross has tips to make this a frightfully safe Halloween.

Costume Safety

Whether a child wants to be a princess, a monster or a superhero for Halloween, parents can help keep it safe by:

§  Adding reflective tape to costumes and trick-or-treat bags.

§  Using flame-resistant costumes.

§  Using face makeup instead of masks, which can cover your eyes and make it hard to see.

Navigating the Neighborhood

To maximize safety, plan a route ahead of time. Make sure adults know where children are going. If the children are young, a parent or responsible adult should accompany them as they walk through the neighborhood.

Here are more safety tips to follow as children go from house to house:

§  Make sure trick-or-treaters have a flashlight.

§  Visit only the homes that have a porch light on. Accept treats at the door—never go inside.

§  Walk only on the sidewalks, not in the street. If no sidewalk is available, walk at the edge of the roadway, facing traffic.

§  Look both ways before crossing the street, and cross only at the corner.

§  Don’t cut across yards or use alleys. Don’t cross between parked cars.

§  Be cautious around strange animals, especially dogs.

Trick or Treat!

For those who expect to greet trick-or-treaters at their door, they can make sure it’s fun for everyone by following a few tips:

§  Make sure the outdoor lights are on.

§  Sweep leaves from sidewalks and steps.

§  Clear the porch or front yard of any obstacles that a child could trip over.

§  Restrain pets.

§  Use a glow stick instead of a candle in jack-o-lanterns to avoid a fire hazard.

Visit redcross.org for more advice on having a safe and fun Halloween.

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.

Holiday Mail campaign begins Monday

The Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign begins Monday, Oct. 3, when the Red Cross will announce the post office box for sending holiday cards to service members, military hospital patients and veterans. The Holiday Mail campaign is now in its fifth year and has distributed about 3 million holiday cards.

Anyone can participate in this event by simply signing a card and sending it to the post office box before Dec. 9. All cards will be scanned for biohazard and explosives, in accordance with Department of Defense policy, and then sent to Red Cross chapters for distribution. Cards should be addressed to "any service member."

Please follow these guidelines if you send a card:
1. Do not include personal information, such as address, telephone number or email address.
2. Do not put money or any other gift in the envelope; these cannot be forwarded to service members.
3. Do not include any inserts or glitter in the cards (glitter can cause problems in hospitals).
4. Do not send letters with your cards. A simple greeting and expression of gratitude and encouragement is sufficient.

Cards sent to the HMFH post office box are sent to Red Cross chapters, after security scanning, for distribution at military posts, hospitals, Reserve or National Guard centers, Veterans Administration hospitals or clinics, and veterans' organizations. The cards provide a morale boost for active duty military personnel as well as for veterans and families of service members.

The post office address for Holiday Mail will be heavily publicized during the first week of October, so watch for announcements.

Oct. 8 Ride for Heroes invites bicyclists to ride

The following press release has been sent to Wilson-Rocky Mount-Tarboro-Roanoke Rapids area newspapers and radio stations:

Heroes Ride on Two Wheels

More than 100 bicyclists will depart the Imperial Centre in downtown Rocky Mount Saturday morning, Oct. 8, for a non-competitive ride through Rocky Mount and Nash County. In addition to a pleasant ride through the countryside on an autumn morning, cyclists will get the satisfaction of knowing their pedaling will support the disaster relief efforts of the American Red Cross.

All proceeds from the Ride for Heroes will go to the Frederick E. Turnage Chapter’s Disaster Relief Fund. The Turnage chapter provides Red Cross services in five counties (Nash, Edgecombe, Wilson, Halifax and Northampton). As a regional chapter, it also has oversight over a 28-county region, and all of those counties were affected by Hurricane Irene. Red Cross disaster funds have been depleted by the expense of providing immediate relief and recovery assistance to thousands of North Carolina residents. Immediately before and following Hurricane Irene’s landfall on Aug. 27, the Red Cross opened 57 shelters in eastern North Carolina for evacuees and recorded more than 8,000 overnight stays in those shelters, making it the largest sheltering operation in North Carolina since Hurricane Floyd in 1999. To provide nourishment to storm victims, the Red Cross served nearly 165,000 meals and more than 230,000 snacks. More than 750 Red Cross volunteers and staff were involved in the disaster relief operation.

Bicycle enthusiasts can enjoy rides of 25, 50 or 100 kilometers (17, 33 or 62 miles) with the knowledge that they are helping the Red Cross assist disaster victims. Each course includes stops for nourishment and hydration and, if needed, bathroom breaks. Course maps are available online. Each course weaves through rolling countryside with maximum elevation changes of 75 to 100 feet, and each begins and ends at the Imperial Centre. To see the course maps or to register online, visit www.turnageredcross.org and click on the Ride for Heroes link. Registration is $30 per cyclist until Oct. 6. Ride day registration will be $35, and each registrant receives a T-shirt.

Sponsorships are available ranging from $100 to $1,000. Sponsors can contribute to Ride for Heroes via a credit card by clicking the Ride for Heroes link at www.turnageredcross.org and choosing the Ride for Heroes sponsorship link.

Ride for Heroes coincides with the Eastern Carolina BBQ Throwdown taking place Oct. 8 at the Train Station a few blocks away from the Imperial Centre. The Throwdown is a two-day, sanctioned, national barbecue competition and celebration. See details at http://www.bbqthrowdown.net or follow the link at the Ride for Heroes website.

Cycling fans are welcome to greet participants and cheer them on along the route and at the finish line.

Be prepared for possible terrorist attacks

The 10th anniversary of 9/11 reminds us of the need to be prepared for the unexpected emergency. None of the thousands of people in the World Trade Center that beautiful morning had any idea that they would find themselves scrambling for their lives. Residents of lower Manhattan had no idea that their homes and neighborhoods would become a war zone with toxic dust everywhere. The first responders who went into the towers didn't know what they faced.

Usually when we talk about preparing for disasters, we are referring to hurricanes or tornadoes or fires, but the threat of a terrorist attack is also a very real possibility in this age. Just as our parents and grandparents posted Civil Defense signs, created fallout shelters and prepared for a nuclear attack in the 1950s, today's generation must be prepared for the possibility of a terrorist bombing or military-style attack.

If a terrorist attack shut down electric power, contaminated the water supply, spread deadly disease or released radioactive dust, would you be prepared? These situations might require you to "shelter in place," sealing your home and subsisting on what you have on hand. That is why every family should have an emergency plan and an emergency kit that includes medication, hygiene supplies, important papers, water (one gallon per person per day), and non-perishable food.

The Red Cross is prepared to shelter the survivors of a terrorist attack, just as they did in 2001, when 60 shelters housed 3,554 families and served more than 14 million meals. The Red Cross in partnership with other agencies, formed the Liberty Fund to distribute the $1.1 billion in donations following 9/11. All of that money has been distributed, including $700 million spent in the first year, with just $130,000 remaining. Most of that sum will be spent closing out the remaining active grants.

In a world where a handful of terrorists can bring down tall buildings and blow a hole in the Pentagon, it behooves all of us to prepare for the worst even as we hope for the best and trust military and intelligence agencies to obstruct potential attackers.

The storm next time

Much of eastern North Carolina is under a tornado watch until 2 p.m. today as a line of thunderstorms moves across the state. North Carolina is expected to receive heavy rains over the next couple of days as the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee move northward from the Gulf Coast.

The good news on the horizon is that Hurricane Katia now is expected to turn sharply eastward away from the North Carolina coastline in the next few days. On the heels of Hurricane Irene, Katia could have caused more severe damage to the coastline if the powerful storm were to come ashore. If forecasts are correct, Katia will remain at sea and cause no damage to the coast.

Red Cross volunteers remain vigilant, however. Volunteers at the Turnage Chapter in Rocky Mount gathered Saturday to replenish supplies in shelter trailers that had been depleted by the Hurricane Irene response. They know that even if Katia is not the next big storm, there will be a next big storm sometime, and they have to be ready.

Hurricane Irene and other disasters

The Hurricane Irene relief effort is winding down, leaving behind staggering numbers to match the terrible destruction caused by the storm that made landfall along the N.C. Outer Banks Aug. 27. In eastern North Carolina, the American Red Cross:
 + Opened 56 shelters for evacuees; as of Sunday, three shelters remained open.
 + Recorded 7,745 overnight stays in shelters (as of Sept. 4).
 + Opened five kitchens and served 145,129 meals and 208,669 snacks.
 + Scrambled 67 Emergency Response Vehicles to provide food and supplies to hurricane victims.
 + Provided 2,879 health services contacts and 833 mental health contacts to hurricane victims.
 + Distributed 28,086 bulk items, such as comfort kits and cleanup kits.

Hurricane Irene was not an isolated event. After leaving North Carolina, Irene continued northward, eventually crossing into Canada after causing the worst flooding in a generation in Vermont. Flooding was also severe in New Jersey, and states all along the eastern seaboard felt Irene's fury. Nationwide, the Red Cross:
 + Served more than 1.2 million meals and snacks.
 + Provided about 56,000 overnight stays in shelters from North Carolina to New England.
 + Mobilized more than 5,600 Red Cross workers who worked with community partners to provide relief to many thousands of hurricane victims.

The Red Cross estimates its total cost for the Hurricane Irene relief operation will be $10 million to $15 million. Because it is not a government agency and does not receive federal funding, the Red Cross has to raise every dollar spent on hurricane relief. Donations may be made to the local chapter or to the national disaster relief fund at P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Donations may be made online at www.redcross.org or by phone at 1-800-REDCROSS. Mobile phone users may make a $10 donation by texting REDCROSS to 90999.

Although Irene garnered most of the national media's attention over the past week, it is not the only disaster the Red Cross is responding to. Tropical Storm Lee has inundated the Gulf Coast with heavy rains, causing severe flooding in several areas. Red Cross volunteers are still helping flood victims in Minot, N.D., where thousands of homes were destroyed by June floods. Also, wildfires in California and Texas have forced evacuations and brought Red Cross response. Altogether, the Red Cross responds to about 70,000 disasters each year, most of them single-family fires, and relies on the generosity of donors to provide relief for these disaster victims.

Natural disasters such as Hurricane Irene also disrupt the blood supply. Irene forced the cancellation of 84 Red Cross blood drives, resulting in a shortfall of nearly 3,000 blood donations. Eligible donors (17 years old and weighing 110 pounds or more, depending on height) are urged to donate blood in order to replenish the supply of life-giving blood. Donors may schedule an appointment by calling 1-800-REDCROSS or by going to www.redcrossblood.org.

Hurricane Irene relief is a huge effort

The sheer magnitude of the American Red Cross relief effort following Hurricane Irene is staggering. The Red Cross has dedicated every one of its Emergency Response Vehicles east of the Rockies to the East Coast relief effort. That is 260 of the mobile feeding and supply vehicles, each capable of serving hundreds of meals a day. Fifty-two of these vehicles are now at work in North Carolina. Ten kitchens, capable of serving 140,000 meals a day, are operating in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and New York. Partner agencies in these same states plus New Jersey are making available 1.3 million meals.

Since Friday, Red Cross shelters along the East Coast from North Carolina to New England have provided 52,000 overnight stays for evacuees fleeing Hurricane Irene or its aftermath. In North Carolina, overnight shelter stays are up to 7,067 as of Tuesday, with a total of 43,020 meals served along with nearly 30,000 snacks. Most of the 52 shelters that were open in North Carolina have closed; eight remained open on Tuesday.

What has made Hurricane Irene such a monster is not its wind velocity or its size but its path all the way up the East Coast. After coming ashore near Morehead City, N.C., the storm continued up the coastline, hitting Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont. Recovery will be a huge operation.

The Red Cross response to Hurricane Irene will cost the nonprofit organization millions of dollars, which is why fundraising efforts are under way even as relief operations continue. Donations to the Disaster Relief Fund can be made to any Red Cross chapter or to national headquarters, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Donations can be made at the Red Cross website, www.redcross.org, or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS. Online donations can also be made to www.encredcross.org, where donors have the option of selecting a chapter in eastern North Carolina to receive the donation.

Mobile phone users can donate $10 by texting REDCROSS to 90999.