BREAKING NEWS: Disaster Update

RED CROSS HELPING FAMILIES IN ASHLAND-NEW HAMPTON AREA

Summary of NH Red Cross Tornado Response

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Be Ready for Floods - Red Cross Tips

September is NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH - are you prepared?

THE RED CROSS WAS THERE: A Statement from the Regional Executive Director

Along with friends, neighbors and families, American Red Cross chapters were on the scene immediately after the tornadoes on July 24th, offering help and hope to the families and communities who were affected. Disaster relief is at the core of the American Red Cross mission: “a humanitarian organization, led by volunteers, that provides relief to victims of disaster.”   Read more...

NATIONAL GUARD HONORED AT RED CROSS ANNUAL MEETING

The partnership between the United States Armed Forces and the American Red Cross was the theme of the 2008 Annual Meeting of the Granite Chapter of the Red Cross. The keynote speaker at the meeting was Colonel Donald R. Dupuis, Manpower and Personnel Officer for the NH National Guard, with oversight to Air Guard Personnel, Army Guard Personnel and the Human Resources Office. In introducing Col. Dupuis, Tim Murray, Regional Executive Director for the NH Region of the Red Cross, cited the colonel’s decorated military career and the military tradition in generations of his family.  Read more...

Tim Murray (left) welcomed Col. Donald Dupuis to the Granite Chapter for the 2008 Annual Meeting.
 

More information about the SAF program is available from the Granite Chapter at 1-800-464-6692

RED CROSS CHAPTER VOTES IN NEW BOARD MEMBERS

Four new members of the Board of Directors for the Granite Chapter of the American Red Cross were approved at the 2008 Annual Meeting.

Peter Brankman, a resident of Penacook, is the founding owner of the accounting firm Peter C. Brankman & Company, PC, in Concord.

Raymond Martin, Senior Vice President Trust Manager at Merrimack Country Savings Bank, has more than two decades of experience in financial services. He is a resident of Warner.

John Porter of Center Harbor is Vice President of USI New England, an insurance and financial services firm based in Bedford. He has been in the insurance business since 1979.

Linda Roche has been with Northeast Delta Dental for 23 years and is currently Director of Strategy Management. She lives in Francestown.

With these new members, the chapter’s board now has 19 members. The other members include lawyers, health care providers, bankers, administrators, and business leaders. For more information about the Granite Chapter, call 1-800-464-6692.

Attending the 2008 Annual Meeting were new and current members of the Granite Chapter’s Board of Directors. In the front are new members (L to R) John Porter, Linda Roche and Raymond Martin; Peter Brankman was not present. In back are current board members - George Calder, Katharyn Hoke, Susan Bryant, Robert Gerseny, Joan Bishop and Donald Gartrell.

MORE classes for LNA's!

The LNA certification program at the Granite Chapter has been growing fast. They have added several new LNA I classes, and now offer an LNA II class. Read more...

CHAPTER VOLUNTEERS HELP AT MIDWEST DISASTERS

Severe storms and heavy rainfall this past spring in the central United States caused serious flash flooding in already saturated areas. The American Red Cross was there to help victims of the flooding and tornadoes through a major disaster relief operation covering several states.

To provide the workforce for this operation, the Red Cross brought in workers from all over the country to these states. Six volunteers from the local Granite Chapter left in June to help with the Midwestern Red Cross disaster relief operation.

Helen Champa from Pembroke and Phil Jones from Gilmanton Iron Works are trained by the chapter in disaster response, and active members of the Concord Area Disaster Action Team. Champa went to Iowa and Jones headed for Indiana.

Peter Fortier of Contoocook left for Des Moines, Iowa, to work with distribution food and bulk items, like cleaning supplies. Laura Volker from Northfield helped with management of a facility in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Two volunteers, formerly of New Hampshire, were sent by the Granite Chapter even though they now live out-of-state. Holly McMeekin from Virginia went to Madison, Wisconsin, to work on communications and other technical support. Denise Smith from Arkansas helped with support of staff services in Wichita, Kansas. Read more...

To make a donation to the Disaster Relief Fund, write a check to The American Red Cross, with “Central US Disasters” on the memo line, and mail it to the Granite Chapter, 2 Maitland Street, Concord, NH 03301, or call the chapter at 1-800-464-6692. For information about the work and services of the Granite Chapter, visit the website www.concord-redcross.org. 

Sherri with one of the many Health and Safety manikins, this one for Pet First Aid.

NEW HEALTH & SAFETY DIRECTOR

Sherri Litchfield has been appointed the new director of the Health & Safety program of the Granite Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Sherri first came to the Red Cross as a volunteer instructor. She has been with the chapter for a year as the Health & Safety Quality Assurance Coordinator.

Before that, Sherri served for four years as a Red Cross Authorized Provider for her previous employer.

She is a native from New Hampshire and currently lives in Sanbornton with her husband and English springer spaniel. Congratulations, Sherri!
 

Red Cross Closed Belmont Branch Office in Belknap Mall

In a move to consolidate facilities and reduce costs, the Granite Chapter of the American Red Cross closed the administrative functions of the branch office in the Belknap Mall effective July 1, 2008.

The space continues to be used for storage of critical supplies for the chapter’s disaster teams in the Lakes Region and northern communities.

The Red Cross will also use the location to hold meetings and mobilize crews during disaster operations. The chapter will continue to hold classes in the space, according to Sherri Litchfield, the chapter’s Health and Safety Director. But classes will also be held at convenient locations throughout the Lakes Region communities, made possible by generous donations of space from local businesses.

“We continue to be committed to strengthening and expanding our disaster response and training capacity in the Lakes Region and North Country,” said Tim Murray, Regional Executive Director of the NH Region of the American Red Cross. “This move will only improve our responsiveness to the needs of residents and communities in the Lakes Region by reducing costs and making our program more effective and flexible.”

GIRL SCOUT TROOP DONATES STUFFED ANIMALS

Girl Scout Troop 282 from Warner collected stuffed animals for the American Red Cross as part of their “Sign of the World” Badge.

The troop members got help from their classmates at Simonds Elementary School in Warner who joined in collecting new stuffed animals or funds to buy stuffed animals, according to troop co-leaders Amy Juranty and Laurie Collins.

The generous donation went to the Disaster Services program at the Granite Chapter of the American Red Cross in Concord. Disaster volunteers will pass out the stuffed animals to children of families who have been burned out of their homes.

Two members of the Girl Scout Troop 282 from Warner and one Brownie brought piles of new stuffed
animals to be given out to children affected by disasters.  From left to right, Emily Collins, Sarah
Allie, and Abby Collins, all from Warner.

SIT, BOY! SIT!

Recently volunteers from the NH State Prison Service Dog Program participated in the Granite Chapter’s Pet First Aid class.

The dogs pictured are pups-in-training that currently reside at and are trained by the inmates to become service dogs. Some of the dogs involved in the program stopped by the Granite Chapter office with program volunteers to get their pictures taken and to have some fun. The dogs that pass this training program will be matched up with disabled people who can be helped by an attentive canine assistant. 

After considerable cajoling, these energetic pups, aka Service Dogs in Training, and their volunteers posed
in front of the Granite Chapter Office with Sherri Litchfield (back left) holding a Pet First Aid manikin.