MARCH IS RED CROSS MONTH

In our Cascades Region, serving Oregon and SW Washington, the contributions of more than 2,500 local Red Cross volunteers give hope to the most vulnerable in their darkest hours.

The Red Cross does so by providing more than 600 emergency overnight shelter stays, along with food and comfort for families devastated by nearly 800 local disasters, like home fires. Through the generosity of those donating more than 182,000 units of essential blood for accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease. Or by supporting service members and veterans an average of nine times a day, along with their families and caregivers through the unique challenges of military life. And by helping to save the lives of others with first aid, CPR and other skills; or delivering international humanitarian aid.

Just within the month of February across our Cascades Region, Red Cross responded to 105 disaster events which averages to 3.75 cases a day.

This month, the Southwest Oregon Chapter will be recognized through proclamations for March Red Cross Month in the Cities of Albany, Depot Bay, Klamath Falls, Medford, Oakridge, Reedsport, Roseburg and Waldport.  It was in these cities where Red Cross supported shelters last year, organized large-scale smoke alarm installation events or taught youth preparedness programs.

SOUND THE ALARM

The American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, with the support of community partners, has achieved its goal of installing 2.5 million free smoke alarms and making 1 million households safer across the country. Since launching in October 2014, the campaign has saved at least 1,583 lives nationwide — including at least 18 people in the Cascades Region including 2 recent lives saved in Depot Bay— from the threat of home fires, which claim seven lives every day in the U.S. Most often, these tragedies occur in homes without working smoke alarms
Locally across the Cascades Region, Red Cross volunteers and partners have:

•  Installed nearly 40,000 free smoke alarms
•  Made more than 12,000 households safer
•  Educated more than 6,000 children through youth preparedness programs

Because home fires remain a daily threat and the campaign has made a lifesaving difference, the Red Cross will be continuing the program with community partners as part of its standard services, including our signature Sound the Alarm events.  Four cities throughout the Cascades Region were chosen to be Sound the Alarm cities this year.  Medford will have their event on Saturday, March 11th with the goal of making 100 homes made safer in partnership with the Medford Fire Department and 100 Red Cross volunteers and community partners.  The Red Cross is leading similar hyper focused Sound the Alarm Campaigns in Longview, WA, Aloha, OR and Pendleton, OR.

Visit www.soundthealarm.org/cascades for a home fire safety visit and free smoke alarm installation. During 20-minute appointments, volunteers will share information on the causes of home fires, how to prevent them, what to do if a fire starts and how to create an escape plan.