A special gift

A member of the Red Cross Club at St. Gertrude’s High School in Richmond, Virginia sent me a very special gift in the mail.   It is a simple bracelet she made with beads that her mother purchased more than 2o years ago at a marketplace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

The Man in the Lobby

I am grateful for the outpouring of love and support to the people of Haiti from the people in this region.  Although the logistics are complicated,  the relief supplies are now beginning to flow into Haiti.   The items that are required for a comprehensive disaster relief operation (e.g., food, water, medical supplies, vehicles, fuel and tents) are on the ground in Haiti.  Lives are being saved as a direct result of the generous support of our Red Cross donors.   Thank you to all of our donors. 

I wish I could personally thank all the donors who have sent money our way.  Every dollar continues to make a huge difference. 

Yesterday, as I was leaving the building to extend greetings at a fundraiser on our behalf, I was stopped in the lobby by an elderly gentleman.  He was sitting in a chair, but I could see that he was paralyzed on one side of his body.  His cane was on the floor.  He said, “I saw you on TV.  Thanks for what the Red Cross is doing.”  I thanked him for his support.  I found out he had stopped by the chapter to drop off a donation to assist with the relief effort in Haiti.  He had a warm smile on his face as he told me who had given him the money.  He is a street corner minister in downtown Richmond.  He decided to ask the men on the street who usually panhandle for money to buy alcohol to forfeit their vice for one day, and in turn, donate the money they were about to spent on alcohol to the Haiti disaster relief effort.   He said that his appeal was well received.  He stopped by to give us the donations he received from the men on the street corner.  He relayed their concern for the plight of the people in Haiti.  I was speechless.  I looked in his eyes and held his hand again in order to transmit my sentiments.  I then left the building.

The trauma in Haiti: Katrina Meets 9/11

Our doors will remain open this weekend (including Martin Luther King Jr. Day) and volunteers have come in to staff a Call Center.  Our objective for this weekend is to be accessible,  answer questions and help people think through the most appropriate way that they can help the people of Haiti at this time. 

Yesterday, a woman from Haiti who now lives in Richmond, was one of our volunteers in the Call Center.  She said that yesterday was the first day that she could compose herself enough to leave the house and focus on how she could be a part of the relief effort.  She has learned that members of her immediate family are alive, but the fate of some of her friends is still unknown.  She wishes she could go to Haiti; but she knew that she could still be a part of the relief effort by helping here in Richmond.   She felt she needed to be here with us at the Red Cross on yesterday. 

Her presence in our building in downtown Richmond underscored how interconnected we are as human beings.   She told us about her recent visit home.  He recounted joyous gatherings with her relatives in Port-au-Prince over the Christmas holiday.  She remembered that the holiday decorations at the Presidential Palace looked particularly festive.  She said she made the usual holiday rounds to catch up with former schoolmates, teachers, and neighbors.   Now, just a few days later, some of those same people are missing.  The landmarks of her life have disintegrated into a pile of rubble.  Her sister has described the reality in Haiti as  “Katrina meets 9/11.”  

It is difficult to absorb the scale and complexity of the disaster in Haiti.  All of the images seem surreal.  Many of us probably have ideas about what should be done and what is needed based upon the news reports we have seen on television.  However, the best way for us to be a part of the solution is to follow the guidance of the disaster relief professionals who are now in place in Haiti.    We need to secure the financial resources that are necessary to support the services that are now in place and the long term recovery phase.

Haiti Needs Our Help

The earthquake in Haiti is a major humanitarian catastrophe.   We do not have complete information about the death and destruction.  Those of us in the business of disaster relief know what to do right now, even before we have complete information.   Saving as many lives as possible is the goal for the next several days.   Basic human needs are critical:  food, water, shelter, medical supplies.

I am grateful for all the phone calls, emails, and media attention that we have received at the chapter today.  Within one day,  Americans have donated $1,000,000 to the Red Cross disaster relief effort.   I am glad that Americans understand that we are a trusted, credible organization, poised to take action to alleviate human suffering.  (Information about how to give money to the relief effort and the local chapter can be found on our website www.greaterrichmond.redcross.org and the websites of our chapters in Fredericksburg, Hopewell, Halifax and Petersburg. )  We need money, so that we can help the Haitian Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent secure the supplies that they need in order to save lives and meet the basic human needs.  As much as I know people want to send items (clothes, toys for children, etc.), we have learned over the years that collecting and shipping items that may prove to be unneccessary or inappropriate is a waste of time and energy, regardless of the altruistic intent. 

Thanks to all of the people who have donated to the Red Cross in the past, we were able to provide immediate assistance.  This is the beginning of our relief effort for Haiti.  A comprehensive response will take time and require a lot of money.  Please keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers.   Haiti needs our help.  

Please continue to donate and invest in the work of the Red Cross at home and abroad.  Please visit our website frequently for updates.     Thank you.

Once in a blue moon

This is the last day of the year and tonight we will have a blue moon.  In honor of this rare confluence of events, I have decided to do something that is a little out of the ordinary for me. 

I have been cautious with my posts to this blog, because I don’t know who is out there reading them.  I believe it is my job to attract people (donors, volunteers) to us, and not to do anything that could possibly repel a current or prospective friend.  (We need all the friends we can get.)  To that end,  I usually try to steer clear of potential controversy.   I shy away from airing any dirty laundry.  I try to make appropriate statements for the CEO of a well-loved Red Cross chapter.  Moreover, I was raised in Richmond, Virginia, and being appropriate is a big deal to genteel southern folks.  Richmonders are loathe to disclose raw emotion, even in intimate settings with our blood kin, let alone to faceless strangers in the untamed blogosphere.  

This is my once in a blue moon howl.  

Here is what keeps me up some nights.   Here is what will be in my head as I brace myself for 2010.  My stress level would decrease if I believed that everyone who works for, volunteers with or donates to the organization was on the same page.  Right now, I do not believe we have a unified “One Red Cross” mindset.  We need to be on one accord, because we have an immense challenge ahead of us.    We will never go back to the days when people gave money and supported the Red Cross, or any other nonprofit, just because they heard we do nice things.  We need to prove that an investment in us, in contrast to some other charitable cause, is prudent.

I am not angry about this reality.  I do not think we are victims of donor fatigue.  Instead, I feel like the Red Cross in our region needs to scan the environment in which we find ourselves and adapt our business to fit the current needs of the people who live and work in this community.    Our former business model depended on a consistent outpouring of largesse whenever we had a big natural disaster.  We literally banked on the fact that people would look to us first in times of disaster.  Now, fortunately, other agencies and the public sector are poised to be of assistance during times of natural disasters.  Therefore, the Red Cross must work hard to broaden its framework.   

We will not be able to sustain ourselves if we remain an episodic  organization.   We need to make sure that our friends see that we are relevant outside of the times when we are responding to emergency events.  The other preventative work we do (health and safety training, transportation services, aquatics, international humanitarian law dissemination, support to the military) is equally important.   The complex problem for us is finding the best way to tell this broader story about the function of the Red Cross at the local, regional, national and international levels.  How do you prove to the public that as a result of myriad Red Cross training programs and awareness raising events that no houses burned down today, or no one died from a heart attack, or no one drowned, or no detainee was violated?   

Another complication for the Red Cross is that many of us like the old framework.  Many Red Crossers (paid staff and volunteers) have absorbed the paradigm that we are most relevant to our community after the event has occurred, as opposed to prior to the event (or non event.)

So, as we move into the new decade, we must embrace the fact that the Red Cross has a limited window of opportunity to articulate what makes us unique, to produce tangible results for our investors and to endear a new generation of committed volunteers and investors.    

This means that we will make lots of changes in our culture and practice during 2010 and beyond.  Those who liked the old Red Cross (paid staff, volunteers, donors) need to pivot and now get excited about the unchartered territory ahead of us.  I have no doubt that the Red Cross will look quite different within the next few years.  I am ready to give it all I’ve got.  I just hope that I will find that there are lots of people who are willing to take this journey with me.

Snow Day Activity: Create a Disaster Plan

The Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia has declared a state of emergency due to the forecast of ominous wintry weather.  People are scurrying home, after making a mad dash to the grocery store for milk and the video store for a movie or two before the snowflakes begin to fall.  The goal is to get inside and stay there. 

That is the goal for people who are not Red Cross paid or volunteer staff.   As it became more clear that a winter storm would be inevitable, we began reviewing our plans about what to do and how to do it.  We, as Red Cross staff and volunteers, cannot plan to stay inside or prepare to remain within the comfort of our own homes during times of emergency.  This is when agencies in the business of disaster relief, such as the Red Cross,  must step forward to meet the needs that may arise as a result of a disruption in the normal flow of life for everyone else.  The need for the basic necessities does not take a hiatus during a winter storm.  Our neighbors still need a safe, warm place to sleep, transportation to their critical medical appointments, and food. 

At times like these, when many families have more time in the house together than is usually the case, I hope some family member will take the initiative to convene the family members and review (or create) the family disaster plan. 

Our goal is to have a region filled with families who are Red Cross Ready for natural disasters and other emergencies. 

If you need further information about how to make a disaster plan, please review the steps on our website or in our newsletter.

Helping to wipe away tears

I saw a lot of tears this week . . . tears of sorrow and of joy. 

We had a huge fire at an apartment complex in Richmond.  All of the residents of the apartment complex were either older than 62 or had some kind of disability.  In the wake of the fire, 178 people were left without housing.  Moreover, many of the victims found themselves in a precarious health situation because they lost essential items like eye glasses, walkers or prescription medications in the blaze.  Sorrowful tears flowed because the sense of loss for some of these medically fragile senior adults was overwhelming.   I witnessed one elderly woman sobbing  and she apologized to me saying, “I am sorry you have to see me having a meltdown.”  I told her she did not have to apologize.   I let her know that it is our job to be there to help wipe away tears and restore hope. 

The staff, both paid and volunteer, effectively and tirelessly went about completing the myriad duties and tasks which are necessary to navigate people through a traumatic life-altering emergency.  As usual, many people seemed to be amazed that the assistance from the Red Cross was so quick and responsive.  It was good to know that our donors and friends have given us the ability to demonstrate to people that someone is prepared to help them in their hour of greatest need.  The compassionate response from the Red Cross generated many tears of relief and joy.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

I am grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of the Red Cross.   I am grateful to work with people who share a belief that it is our responsiblity to  ease or prevent the suffering of our neighbors during times of personal disasters and emergencies.  I am grateful that hundreds of people in this region feel compelled to volunteer their time to help the Red Cross serve others in need.  I am pleased that we have dynamic, compassionate volunteer leadership at the local, regional and national levels of the organization.   I am grateful that there are individuals, foundations, congregations, local governments and corporations that are willing to share their resources with us, so that we can be prepared and ready to serve when the moment arises.  I am in awe of the fact that the Red Cross spreads hope all over the world.

We need our Red Cross Youth

I was first introduced to the American Red Cross when I was a student at Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond, Virginia.  I have fond memories of the service projects, leadership development camps and the adults who helped introduce me to the role of the Red Cross in our local and global community.  Well, fast forward thirty years and now I am the CEO at the very chapter where I got my start as a youth volunteer.   I am definitely the poster child for volunteer service paving the way for a long term career path.

November is National Youth Involvement Month for the Red Cross.   Youth  involvement is a big deal to me.  We really need our Red Cross youth.   We need to hear what they have to say about our work and our future.  Therefore, it is my honor to defer this blog entry to a guest blogger:  Rajbir Chaggar.  Rajbir is a senior at  Cosby High School in Midlothian, Virginia.   He is the current president of the Youth Council and he serves on our board of directors.    Thanks for your service, Rajbir.

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   I began volunteering with the American Red Cross, Greater Richmond Chapter in 2008. Since then, I have witnessed the strength of people who unite behind a common goal: to assist the unassisted, to protect the unprotected, and to unite the divided. Whether it be a horrendous house fire or civil unrest, or even cultural misunderstandings, the Red Cross has reached out to better our communities.

    One observation I noted from the beginning of my time of service was the astonishing role youth played in the organization. Youth volunteers organize fundraisers, go out on diaster cases, take client calls, teach CPR classes, and assist all other departments of the Red Cross. In no other organization is the involvement of youth so great, and in no other organization is the involvement of youth so critical to the success of the nonprofit. Youth are a pillar on which the Red Cross sits upon, and would tumble over without.

    That being said, let us take a moment to thank youth volunteers for their service to our organization. But then the question arises: why do young people volunteer with the American Red Cross? Why does our organization draw so many loyal supporters from the younger age spectrum than other nonprofits? The answer is respect. Because the Red Cross has touched the lives of so many folks, it has inevitably gathered admiration from youth. Youth know that, in the future, if they ever have a house fire or get caught in a hurricane, that the Red Cross will be their to help. This, combined with the respect youth volunteers receive when working with older, experienced staff encourages more and more youth to volunteer. And we, the youth, will continue to aid and respect the American Red Cross, because we know that we will receive the same aid and respect in our times of need.

Answering the Call to Care

I am fortunate to work at the local chapter of an organization that has two great people as part of its past and an amazing local philanthropist as a part of its present.

Henri Dunant is recognized as the father of the international Red Cross organization.  In 1859, he was on a business trip, making his way through Italy, when he came upon the aftermath of a battle in Solferino, Italy.  Thousands of men lay wounded and dying.  Henri Dunant decided at that moment that something should be done.  He felt called to care for the wounded and dying on the battlefield.  He organized the townspeople and coordinated medical care for the soldiers, regardless of military affiliation.  He saved lives.  His spontaneous action on that battlefield in Solferino changed the world.  He birthed a new way for us to care for one another during times of armed conflict.  His life would never be the same.  He dedicated his life, and all of his worldly goods, to creating an approach to alleviate human suffering based upon the fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, unity, universality, voluntary service and independence.  Before he died in 1910, he was awarded the first Nobel Peace Prize.  Today, his legacy lives on through the Geneva Conventions.   

 Meanwhile, Clara Barton became the Angel of the Battlefield during the Civil War.  She volunteered as a nurse in response to the call to care for assistance to help those soldiers who were suffering on the battlefields.  She was successful at securing medical supplies for the wounded.  Although she had no official capacity, she was able to obtain permission to transport supplies across lines.  She tended to the needs of wounded soldiers regardless of whether they were fighting for the North or the South.  Four years after the war ended, she was in charge of the search for missing men.  After that, she went to Europe.  During her visit to Europe, she heard about the Red Cross.  She started the American Red Cross in 1881.  

Frank Barksdale, III became a part of the Red Cross family as a donor to the Richmond Chapter in 2007.   Although he was 10 years old and a student at Mary Munford Elementary School in Richmond, Va, the mission of the Red Cross and the work of the chapter resonated with him.  He decided to answer the call to care.  He walked into the chapter with an unsolicited donation at Christmas time.  He had done his research on various nonprofits in Richmond and felt the Red Cross was a good match with his philanthropic objective  Of course, we were all shocked to see the diminutive philanthropist in our lobby handing us a check for $300.  This was money he had earned on his own, and, on his own volition, he opted not to use it to buy toys for himself, but rather to give it to us.   When asked, “Why the Red Cross?”  Frank replied, “I wanted to help people and Red Cross was my first thought . . . Red Cross helps everyone”.   

Henri Dunant, Clara Barton and Frank Barksdale, III give us inspiring examples of how we can each answer the call to care.  The impact of your response does not have to be global or national.  It could be local.  Based upon the common theme in the stories of how Henri, Clara and Frank answered the call to care, your response just needs to be from the heart.