Tag: red cross

Flooding Resources: Summer 2024

AS OF TUESDAY, July 9, 2024

More than two weeks after floodwaters inundated parts of Minnesota and eastern South Dakota, neighbors, local community organizations and government partners continue to work together to help people recover from the extensive damage.

If you need help, please visit redcross.org/mndaks and click “Get Help,” or you can call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

  1. Shelter
  2. Flooding: What to do before, during and after Inundación: Qué hacer antes, durante y después
  3. Facebook Updates: Minnesota, South Dakota
  4. Red Cross Emergency App and Flood Safety
  5. How you can help
  6. CrisisCleanup.org

Shelter

Shelters are available for people displaced by recent flooding. Shelters provide essential resources, including food, water, emotional support and information. Click here for info on what to bring, services available and more.

The Village in Waterville (Partner Shelter)
205 N 1st St., Waterville, MN 56096

Flooding: What to do before, during and after

Inundación: Qué hacer antes, durante y después

Facebook Updates: Minnesota, South Dakota

Red Cross Emergency App and Flood Safety

📱 Red Cross Emergency App: To stay informed and prepared during severe weather, download the free Red Cross Emergency app. Customize 40 different weather alerts, toggle between English and Spanish, and ensure accessibility for people with disabilities. Text “GETEMERGENCY” to 90999 or find the app in your app store.

The Emergency app includes an “I’m Safe” feature that help people check on loved ones.  Search “American Red Cross” in app stores or go to redcross.org/apps. 

Turn around, don’t drown. Stay off the roads. If you must drive and encounter a flooded roadway while driving, turn around and go another way.   

How you can help

Support Red Cross Disaster Relief and help people affected by disasters like flooding and countless other crises by making a financial donation today.
Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small, like the Minnesota and South Dakota floods.

Donate online at RedCross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-722-2767) or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

The Red Cross encourages financial donations, which provide the quickest and most effective way to assist those in need. Please note that the Red Cross is not accepting donations of food, household items, or clothing, as these cannot be distributed by their teams.

Volunteer for disasters
Many people have expressed interest in volunteering to support our response efforts, and we are appreciative of the offers to assist. At this time, our trained Red Cross volunteers are working this disaster.

Help us pre-stage valuable volunteers for the next disasters to help your neighbors in need – from home fires to flooding and more. Put on a red vest and join us as a volunteer today to provide relief and hope when it matters most. Visit redcross.org/givetime to check out opportunities with your local chapter.

Donate blood
Unfortunately, the American Red Cross continues to address a concerning shortfall in lifesaving donations since late spring. If you are in an area not impacted by a disaster, please keep your appointment or schedule an appointment to roll up a sleeve and donate blood.

To make an appointment simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

CrisisCleanup.org

Home Cleanup Hotlines have been opened by CrisisCleanup.org to help survivors cleanup in Minensota and South Dakota. We anticipate that most volunteer groups will work through Friday, July 5. 2024. Survivors needing assistance can call 218-288-2213 in MN and 605-519-5413 in SD.

Husband and wife duo hit the road to help people affected by flooding

“We make a good team after 45 years of marriage,” chuckled Jackie, a Red Cross volunteer who recently journeyed to Sioux Falls with her husband Rick to distribute essential disaster relief items to people affected by flooding. “It’s a great way to spend time together – Rick’s the driver, and I’m the navigator.”

Rick and Jackie Fredricksen loading disaster relief supplies unto a truck at the Red Cross building Minneapolis for transport to the Sioux Falls area June 27, 2024.
Photo: Lynette Nyman/American Red Cross

The husband and wife duo, from Long Lake, MN, joined the Red Cross family last August after they both bid farewell to working life. A former volunteer firefighter, Rick, was eager to keep serving the community so helping with Sound the Alarm events seemed a fantastic place to start. “We once made an alarm installation at a deaf person’s house,” shared Rick. “With the help of another volunteer’s sign language skills, we were able to ensure her home was safer. We were so thrilled about it; we exchanged high-fives! It was truly special.”

This past December, Rick happily helped train fellow disaster team members in Houston, TX and even spent a couple of weeks there in May assisting those impacted by flooding and tornadoes. In the meantime, Jackie was finalizing her own training. “As volunteers, we’re truly embraced by the Red Cross family,” said Rick. “You develop friendships with fellow volunteers – I still get friendly check-in messages from time to time – recently a photo from two volunteers that I deployed with that wanted to say hello.”

Last week, was their first Red Cross deployment together.

Jackie and Rick Fredricksen ready to distribute disaster relief supplies including clean up kits in South Dakota. Photo: Turner County South Dakota Emergency Management.

“Hearing people’s heartfelt stories while they were picking up supplies was so touching,” said Jackie. “Just knowing that we could help them a little while they’re going through so much – they were so appreciative of the Red Cross being there.”

Ricks adds, “People are so resilient. We met a young woman who lived on a farm – they thought they were going to have a bumper crop this year but now have lost everything, but she still had a positive outlook. Or another woman who had skin cancer and was going through treatment – but remained hopeful that things would get better.”

Their Sioux Falls deployment wrapped up on Sunday when the last person came to pick up supplies. “We all signed the top of the clean-up kit!”

When asked about retirement and volunteering with the Red Cross, they both agreed, “We recommend it! It’s so rewarding to meet different people and other Red Cross team members.”

Red Cross volunteer team, including Jackie and Rick Fredricksen, meet Mark, a local hero who stepped up to assist not just himself, but also a neighbor impacted by the recent floods.
Photo submitted.

“It gives you another level of energy and positive feelings that you can help,” said Jackie. “There’re so many different ways to be involved with the Red Cross – there’s something for everybody!

Rick added, “It’s a great opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. I feel blessed that Jackie and I get to share this journey together. We return home inspired, exchanging stories, and praying for brighter days for those we’ve met.”

Jackie and Rick Fredrickson with fellow Red Cross disaster volunteer Willis Gravning.

Our work is possible because of trained volunteers like Rick and Jackie. Join our volunteer team – to find a role that works for you, visit RedCross.org/GiveTime.

Despite life’s storms, Nona continues to bloom at 88

On another rainy day in Waterville, Minnesota, Nona Ose stood in her family room and pointed to her flooded garden, planted more than 20 years ago in memory of her husband and son. “It makes me happy and other people too.”

Nona Ose points to flood waters still lingering in her backyard garden, Waterville, Minnesota, June 27, 2024. Photo: Lynette Nyman/American Red Cross

Proud of her gardens – Nona was once a florist, among other things – her heart ached to see her work threatened because of devastating flooding. “The water kept creeping up until there was water surrounding my house,” Nona explained. “There were even carp swimming around in my backyard and garden. I’m happy everything has gone down little by little.”

Nona, now 88 years old, grew up on a farm near Waterville and has lived in the same home for more than 60 years. She has navigated through adversity with grace. But this, she said, is scary.

Red Cross responder Sue Thesenga listens to Nona reflect on the flooding in Waterville, Minnesota. Photo: Lynette Nyman/American Red Cross

“It’s never flooded this bad.” When she compared the flooding that happened in 1965 to this flooding, she said, “it was nothing like this.” And, in 2018, she remembers a tornado that uprooted trees, several falling on her house.

Nona is sad about some of her belongings, like a Christmas tree now floating in her water-filled garage. But she’s happy her Christmas village was spared as this year she never put it in storage.

The street near Nona’s home in Waterville remains covered with flood water, June 27, 2024. Photo credit: Lynette Nyman/American Red Cross

Older adults like Nona often are the most vulnerable when disasters strike. Mobility, isolation, and other physical and mental can present different challenges for seniors when people need to move fast and reach safety during a disaster and even after when the long road of recovery begins.

In Nona’s case, her next door neighbors rose to the occasion, proving the power of community support. “They’ve been wonderful! They’ve helped me with things like getting groceries.” They helped with sandbagging and even remembered to pick up a Red Cross cleanup kit for her.

On June 27, outside Waterville’s city hall, Red Cross volunteers distributed relief supplies for people from Waterville, a town of around 1,700. People drove to the site and stopped to pick up rakes, shovels, gloves, garbage bags, and other flood relief supplies, including the kits.

Nona Ose shares a hug with Red Cross responder Sue Thesenga, Waterville, Minnesota, June 27, 2024. Photo: Lynette Nyman/American Red Cross

Nona displays strength and resiliency that is truly inspiring. While describing the rising waters that was surrounding her home, she musters a smile. “I guess I’m tough.” She’ll use the cleanup kit in the basement where she winters flowers from her beloved garden.

“I feel wonderful that the Red Cross helps,” said Nona.

Resource: Preparedness for older adults
Donate: Support American Red Cross Disaster Relief

Flooding Resources: Summer 2024

AS OF FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2024

Floodwaters continue to impact our neighbors in southeast South Dakota and southern and northeast Minnesota. The Red Cross is closely monitoring weather updates and river crest forecasts, while trained disaster responders are assisting those in need. Please see below for resources.

If you need help, please visit redcross.org/mndaks and click “Get Help,” or you can call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

  1. Clean-up Kit Distribution
  2. Shelters and Temporary Evacuation Point
  3. Flooding: What to do before, during and after Inundación: Qué hacer antes, durante y después
  4. Facebook Updates: Minnesota, South Dakota
  5. Red Cross Emergency App and Flood Safety
  6. How you can help
  7. CrisisCleanup.org

Clean-up Kit Distribution

Friday, June 28, 2024

MINNESOTA

Nobles County
Prairie Justice Center
1530 Airport Road
Worthington, MN 56187
4 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Jackson County
Red Cross teams are driving around the community today with kits. If you don’t see us, clean-up kits are also available at our shelter in Jackson.
Jackson County Community High School (JCC HS)
1128 N Hwy., Jackson, MN 56143

Windom
Mobile distribution, 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Teams delivering kits throughout the community.

Outside Windom Arena
1480 8th Ave.
Windom, MN 56101
4 to 7 p.m.

SOUTH DAKOTA

Turner County
County Building
1055 E Sanborn St
Parker, SD 57053
10:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 29, 2024

Davison County
Mt. Vernon Public School
500 N Main St
Mt. Vernon, SD 57363
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

City of Mitchell
612 N Main St
Mitchell, SD
10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Shelters and Temporary Evacuation Point

If you or anyone you know is affected by this situation, safe shelter is available. It’s crucial to have a safe place during emergencies.

Shelters and a Temporary Evacuation Point are available for people displaced by recent flooding. Shelters provide essential resources, including food, water, emotional support and information. Click here for info on what to bring, services available and more

MINNESOTA

Minnesota State Mankato, Crawford Hall
710 Maywood Ave, Mankato, MN 56001

Jackson County Community High School (JCC HS)
1128 N Hwy., Jackson, MN 56143

The Village in Waterville (Partner Shelter)
205 N 1st St., Waterville, MN 56096

Flooding: What to do before, during and after

Inundación: Qué hacer antes, durante y después

Facebook Updates: Minnesota, South Dakota

Red Cross Emergency App and Flood Safety

📱 Red Cross Emergency App: To stay informed and prepared during severe weather, download the free Red Cross Emergency app. Customize 40 different weather alerts, toggle between English and Spanish, and ensure accessibility for people with disabilities. Text “GETEMERGENCY” to 90999 or find the app in your app store.

The Emergency app includes an “I’m Safe” feature that help people check on loved ones.  Search “American Red Cross” in app stores or go to redcross.org/apps. 

Turn around, don’t drown. Stay off the roads. If you must drive and encounter a flooded roadway while driving, turn around and go another way.   

How you can help

Support Red Cross Disaster Relief and help people affected by disasters like flooding and countless other crises by making a financial donation today.
Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small, like the Minnesota and South Dakota floods.

Donate online at RedCross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-722-2767) or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

The Red Cross encourages financial donations, which provide the quickest and most effective way to assist those in need. Please note that the Red Cross is not accepting donations of food, household items, or clothing, as these cannot be distributed by their teams.

Volunteer for disasters
Many people have expressed interest in volunteering to support our response efforts, and we are appreciative of the offers to assist. At this time, our trained Red Cross volunteers are working this disaster.

Help us pre-stage valuable volunteers for the next disasters to help your neighbors in need – from home fires to flooding and more. Put on a red vest and join us as a volunteer today to provide relief and hope when it matters most. Visit redcross.org/givetime to check out opportunities with your local chapter.

Donate blood
Unfortunately, the American Red Cross continues to address a concerning shortfall in lifesaving donations since late spring. If you are in an area not impacted by a disaster, please keep your appointment or schedule an appointment to roll up a sleeve and donate blood.

To make an appointment simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

CrisisCleanup.org

Home Cleanup Hotlines have been opened by CrisisCleanup.org to help survivors cleanup in Minensota and South Dakota. We anticipate that most volunteer groups will work through Friday, July 5. 2024. Survivors needing assistance can call 218-288-2213 in MN and 605-519-5413 in SD.

Flooding Resources: Summer 2024

AS OF THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2024

Floodwaters continue to impact our neighbors in southeast South Dakota and southern and northeast Minnesota. The Red Cross is closely monitoring weather updates and river crest forecasts, while trained disaster responders are assisting those in need. Please see below for resources.

If you need help, please visit redcross.org/mndaks and click “Get Help,” or you can call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

  1. Shelters and Temporary Evacuation Point
  2. Flooding: What to do before, during and after
  3. Inundación: Qué hacer antes, durante y después
  4. Facebook Updates: Minnesota, South Dakota
  5. Red Cross Emergency App and Flood Safety
  6. How you can help
  7. CrisisCleanup.org

Shelters and Temporary Evacuation Point

If you or anyone you know is affected by this situation, safe shelter is available. It’s crucial to have a safe place during emergencies.

Shelters and a Temporary Evacuation Point are available for people displaced by recent flooding. Shelters provide essential resources, including food, water, emotional support and information. Click here for info on what to bring, services available and more

MINNESOTA

Minnesota State Mankato, Crawford Hall
710 Maywood Ave, Mankato, MN 56001

Faribault Armory
3000 W Airport Rd, Faribault, MN 55021

Jackson County Community High School (JCC HS)
1128 N Hwy., Jackson, MN 56143

The Village in Waterville (Partner Shelter)
205 N 1st St., Waterville, MN 56096

SOUTH DAKOTA
Sioux Falls Expo Center/Lyon Fairgrounds
100 N. Lyon Blvd., Sioux Falls, SD 57107

Flooding: What to do before, during and after

Inundación: Qué hacer antes, durante y después

Facebook Updates: Minnesota, South Dakota

Red Cross Emergency App and Flood Safety

📱 Red Cross Emergency App: To stay informed and prepared during severe weather, download the free Red Cross Emergency app. Customize 40 different weather alerts, toggle between English and Spanish, and ensure accessibility for people with disabilities. Text “GETEMERGENCY” to 90999 or find the app in your app store.

The Emergency app includes an “I’m Safe” feature that help people check on loved ones.  Search “American Red Cross” in app stores or go to redcross.org/apps. 

Turn around, don’t drown. Stay off the roads. If you must drive and encounter a flooded roadway while driving, turn around and go another way.   

How you can help

Support Red Cross Disaster Relief and help people affected by disasters like flooding and countless other crises by making a financial donation today.
Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small, like the Minnesota and South Dakota floods.

Donate online at RedCross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-722-2767) or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

The Red Cross encourages financial donations, which provide the quickest and most effective way to assist those in need. Please note that the Red Cross is not accepting donations of food, household items, or clothing, as these cannot be distributed by their teams.

Volunteer for disasters
Many people have expressed interest in volunteering to support our response efforts, and we are appreciative of the offers to assist. At this time, our trained Red Cross volunteers are working this disaster.

Help us pre-stage valuable volunteers for the next disasters to help your neighbors in need – from home fires to flooding and more. Put on a red vest and join us as a volunteer today to provide relief and hope when it matters most. Visit redcross.org/givetime to check out opportunities with your local chapter.

Donate blood
Unfortunately, the American Red Cross continues to address a concerning shortfall in lifesaving donations since late spring. If you are in an area not impacted by a disaster, please keep your appointment or schedule an appointment to roll up a sleeve and donate blood.

To make an appointment simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

CrisisCleanup.org

Home Cleanup Hotlines have been opened by CrisisCleanup.org to help survivors cleanup in Minensota and South Dakota. We anticipate that most volunteer groups will work through Friday, July 5. 2024. Survivors needing assistance can call 218-288-2213 in MN and 605-519-5413 in SD.

Celebrating Lori Dehn: A Journey of Service and Compassion with the Red Cross 

Early in her nursing career, Lori Dehn’s employer offered her a week off with pay if she volunteered for an American Red Cross disaster response deployment. How could she refuse such an offer? However, back in 2003, securing an official Health Services position with the Red Cross took a while, three years, to be exact!  

At that time, the only way to gain the necessary training was through in-person classes at a Red Cross office. Despite policy changes at her workplace by the time she completed her training, Lori’s enthusiasm for volunteering remained undeterred. She joined her local Red Cross disaster team, aiding individuals and families affected by residential fires.  

Lori Dehn, Red Cross disaster health services volunteer, enjoys training others and presenting for the Red Cross.

Since then, Lori has become an exceptional Red Cross volunteer. She thoroughly enjoys her role in training others and presenting for the Red Cross. The events of 9/11 intensified her focus on training community partners, such as public health departments and nursing schools, on Red Cross disaster health services. In her early years as a Red Cross nurse volunteer, mentors provided invaluable guidance, teaching her more than she could have learned on her own. Their support was crucial to her growth and development as a Red Cross volunteer.  

“Much more than Red Cross” 

In her life, Lori embraces a multitude of fulfilling roles. Not only is she a mother of three and a grandmother of nine, but she also stands as a devoted wife and a pillar in her community. These roles are close to her heart.  

Raised in Osseo, a suburb of Minneapolis, she moved to Elk River in 1979 and now resides in a quaint cabin in the Chippewa National Forest with her husband of 40 years. This cabin is more than just a home; it’s a sanctuary where she serves and finds refuge. Lori leads a connected and bustling life, engaging in activities like hosting friends and family, being part of a social group called “Women of the Woods,” and enjoying hobbies such as hunting, fishing, gardening, and canning. 

When asked about her feelings toward the harsh Minnesota winters, she humorously replies, “nooo”. To escape the cold, she spends several weeks and months in sunny Arizona or Nevada, always keeping her doors open for family and friends to visit. 

Professionally, Lori has been a registered nurse since 1993, starting her career in diverse nursing roles including home health care, nursing homes, and case management for individuals with rare diseases. These varied experiences laid the perfect foundation for her eventual journey into volunteering with the Red Cross. 

“Semper Gumby” 

Choosing early retirement to dedicate more time to volunteering, Lori soon found herself deployed as a nurse volunteer to the 2017 Hurricane Harvey. Quickly, she received a field promotion due to the scarcity of volunteers. Lori’s time during Hurricane Harvey set a template for her future deployments. She humorously shares, “Field promotion is considered a naughty word with the Red Cross,” acknowledging the need for adaptability, or as she likes to say, ‘Semper Gumby’ [always flexible]. 

During the 2019 California Wildfires, Lori’s flexibility was tested as she managed a care team for over 200 people, including those with various needs and challenges. Her leadership and the support of a group of young paramedic students ensured that everyone received the care they needed. 

“Big Picture is the Best Picture” 

Lori likes to take a big-picture approach to her work. She strives to inspire and grow the nurse volunteer pool through events and workshops. Recognizing the Red Cross’s reliance on volunteers, she understands the challenge of finding committed individuals but remains optimistic, knowing there’s a place for everyone at this humanitarian organization. 

Lori Dehn, Red Cross disaster health services volunteer, teaching hands-only CPR training in July, 2022. A lifesaving skill that can help save a life if a person’s breathing or heart stops.

A recipient of the national Red Cross Susan B. Hassmiller Nursing Award, Lori used the accompanying grant to bolster the nine Red Cross chapters in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. Her visits around the region have strengthened our community of nurse volunteers. As Lori prepares to pass on her leadership baton this year, she looks forward to future projects with the same zeal and dedication that have characterized her time with the Red Cross.  

Lori, we extend our deepest gratitude for your years of service to the Red Cross. Your leadership, dedication, and the relationships you’ve fostered have enriched both your life and the lives of those you’ve served. Here’s to the continuation of your remarkable journey with the Red Cross, guided by its foundational principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, volunteer service, and universality. 

Story by Lisa Safer and Andrea Austin, Red Cross Volunteers

5 Red Cross Resolutions you can do in ONE hour (or less)

As we step into a new year, many of us are looking for ways to make a positive impact in our lives and the lives of others. The American Red Cross offers a variety of quick and meaningful ways to make a difference. Here are five resolutions you can accomplish in one hour or less, not only benefiting those in need but also enhancing your own well-being.

Cassie and Ben, parents of 3-year-old Oliver who is battling kidney cancer, recently rolled up a sleeve at a blood drive held in their son’s honor. Oliver has needed multiple blood transfusions during his treatment so they are helping pay it forward. Every donation helps patients like Oliver.
  1. Donate Blood
    One of the most significant contributions you can make is donating blood – and it’s simple. In just about one hour, you can make a real difference in the lives of patients requiring life-saving transfusions. It may be the only resolution that includes cookies. Schedule on our free app and follow your blood donation’s journey every step of the way as it makes its way to a hospital to help patients in need.

  2. Learn Hands-Only CPR Learning hands-only CPR is a quick, vital skill that could save a life. The Red Cross offers online resources and local classes that can teach you this life-saving technique in under 30 minutes. By knowing how to perform hands-only CPR, you can help keep a person alive until professional help arrives. Bonus: have fun practicing the rhythm by checking out these “Next Gen Life Beats” friends at the Australian Red Cross. And yes, it includes a Taylor Swift song.

  3. Check Smoke Alarms and Practice an Escape Plan
    Ensuring your home is prepared for emergencies is crucial. Take a few minutes to test your smoke alarms and replace any batteries if needed. Then, spend some time with those you live with drafting and practicing a home escape plan. Knowing what to do in the event of a fire can significantly increase your chances of safely escaping.  And you probably haven’t checked your smoke alarms since last time you burnt pizza. Check out how-to videos and other resources at SoundTheAlarm.org/MNDAKS.

  4. Find your Fit, Take the Volunteer Quiz
    The American Red Cross depends on volunteers to carry out its humanitarian work. In less than an hour, you can explore various opportunities online and sign up for something that resonates with your skills and interests. Whether it’s assisting at a local blood drive, helping with disaster response, or supporting military families, your time and effort can make a huge impact. Punch in your zip, take a our quick quiz and we’ll match you up with cool opportunities near you.

  5.  Make a Gift in Someone’s Honor
    Making a charitable donation in honor of a loved one is a meaningful way to recognize special occasions. It’s a simple process that takes just a few minutes online. Your gift can support various Red Cross initiatives, from disaster relief to supporting military families, and it’s a beautiful way to spread kindness and compassion. Bonus, warm and fuzzy feelings for you and them. Visit RedCross.org/MNDAKS to make a gift.

As you consider your resolutions for the year, remember that even the smallest acts can have a significant impact. By dedicating an hour or less to any of these Red Cross activities, you’re not only helping others but also fostering your own health and happiness*.

Here’s to a year filled with kindness, compassion, and community support!

For more resolution ideas, RedCross.org/MNDAKS

*From the Mayo Clinic Health System, “Kindness has been shown to. increase self-esteem, empathy and compassion, and improve mood. It can decrease blood pressure and cortisol, a hormone directly correlated with stress levels. People who give of themselves in a balanced way also tend to be healthier and live longer.”

Update and thank you from disaster volunteer Pj Doyle

Veteran volunteer Pj Doyle, deployed to the Washington Wildfires, shares her experience and gratitude from the field.

Leading For Change: Amy Leopold Receives National Red Cross Youth Leadership Award

Amy Leopold

For more than four years, Amy Leopold has been a committed Red Cross volunteer. And this year, her commitment was recognized by receiving the American Red Cross’s 2023 Navin Narayan Award for Excellence in Youth Leadership. The award is a prestigious honor presented to a youth volunteer who demonstrates exemplary leadership skills and Red Cross service. Among the 100,000 youth volunteers serving with the Red Cross across the country, only one receives the award each year.

Ms. Leopold began volunteering as part of her Community Day volunteer requirement at The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota. She felt so drawn to the Red Cross mission that she became a youth board member at her local Red Cross chapter, also in Duluth. Since then, she has participated in more than a dozen different Red Cross program areas, ranging from smoke alarm installation, Veteran ‘stand down’ events, and hands-only CPR to Disaster Action Team response and calling blood donors. She has mentored several other students from her college, resulting in more than 20 new volunteers, and she puts her writing skills to important use through ‘thank you’ letters to volunteers, financial donors and partners that support the Red Cross mission.

“Whether through social media or her willingness to share her story, Amy consistently demonstrates to the community and her peers that there is a place in the Red Cross for young volunteers,” said Dan Williams, executive director of the American Red Cross serving Northern Minnesota. “She is an outstanding youth leader who continues to work to change the way youth in our Red Cross region connect with our humanitarian mission.”

National American Red Cross Presidet and CEO Gail McGovern and Amy Leopold, recipent of the 2023 Navin Narayan Award for Excellence in Youth Leadership, April 2023, Washington, D.C.

Leopold was also honored this year with the Northern Minnesota Red Cross chapter’s “Marguerite Grams Memorial Leadership Award” in recognition of exemplary leadership skills for her service as chair of the chapter’s mission committee.

The Navin Narayan Award for Excellence in Youth Leadership

Navin Narayan, a former chair of the American Red Cross National Youth Council, was a dedicated, compassionate and innovative youth volunteer. Mr. Narayan began his involvement with the Red Cross when he was only 14 years old by cleaning mannequins used to teach CPR, and quickly sought ways to become more involved. As a national disaster relief volunteer and trainer, international speaker on human rights, and tireless advocate for Red Cross causes, he changed the way youth are now connected to the American Red Cross. Tragically, at the age of 23, Mr. Narayan lost his battle with a rare form of cancer, but his legacy continues to live on through two honors the American Red Cross currently gives to youth volunteers in his name: the Navin Narayan Award for Excellence in Youth Leadership and the Navin Narayan College Scholarship.

Learn more about Red Cross volunteer opportunities for youth.

Guest Post – DeAnna Murphy was “saved by blood”

“I’m super grateful for people who gave blood and made it possible for me to live…”

The phrase “saved by blood” was something I always associated with a great Easter sermon – that is, until a stranger’s blood literally saved my life 35 years ago.  Gratefully, that person cared enough to be a donor, and doing so, saved two lives on that fateful day.

Mother/daughter duo DeAnna and Mandy volunteered together at the Red Cross blood drive held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Waconia, MN on Jan. 31, 2023.

I was a 23-year old soon-to-be mother of a new baby girl, and unlike so many other expectant mothers, I loved being pregnant! I loved the feeling of life inside me as she squirmed and kicked and reminded me that she was coming. I loved making baby blankets and spending long hours oohing and aahing over the baby girl clothes in the discount store near our home. My husband and I talked often and excitedly about the day when she would finally join our little family. 

One beautiful early June afternoon, I could feel the summer sun calling to me. Our two-year old son, Matt, was as thrilled as I was to be going on a long walk, and our hearts were light as we made our way toward the duck pond that we often frequented. 

Matt tightly held the breadcrumb bag and chattered energetically as we walked along.  Then the moment he could see the pond, he begged to get down. I lifted him out of the stroller, taking a mental picture of his radiant face as he enthusiastically bounded toward the ducks. “Duckie, duckie,” he called, as he went. From their reaction, I’m pretty sure that they were as happy about his visit as he was to be there. 

After he had emptied his bread bag, I lifted him again to put him back in the stroller. It was then that I felt the muscles pull in a strange way across my swollen belly. It didn’t feel right.  There wasn’t much I could do about it in that moment, except to slow my pace as I gingerly made my way back home. The stroller felt much heavier than it had before, and I knew I needed to be off my feet as soon as possible. 

A few hours later, I found myself in an emergency room, losing blood so fast that even the medical staff seemed worried. I had a condition known as placenta previa, something that had taken the life of many an expectant mother through the years. Apparently, the combination of the long walk pushing a stroller, and lifting our little son in and out of it, had put extra pressure on the womb, and caused the bleeding to start. And it didn’t seem to be slowing or stopping.

One of the many worries in this equation was that our baby girl still needed another 10 weeks in the womb in order to survive. Our neonatologist was particularly scared, given that our daughter also had an open spine and would need surgery right after birth. Our obstetrician was worried – and we were terrified.

The next 24 hours passed like a bad dream. I was in and out of consciousness, vomiting until there was nothing left in my stomach. The lights seemed to burn at my eyes whenever I tried to open them, and the voices around me often seemed far away. In fact, there were times when I almost felt disconnected from my own body. 

I do remember one very lucid moment when I awoke to see a unit of blood flowing into one arm, with an IV in the other. As my eyes fluttered open just then, no doubt reflecting the confusion I felt, Dr. Parker explained that a blood transfusion had been necessary to save my life, not to mention the life of our little girl. 

Several units of blood and many hours later, I awoke to find my husband next to my bed still holding my hand.  His eyes were blood shot and he looked as if he hadn’t slept in days.  He smiled wanly at me as he said, “you’re finally back with us.”  He told me that they thought the bleeding had nearly stopped, and that it looked like I was going to be okay.

That was the first miracle. The second came five weeks later, when four-and-a-half-pound Mandy was finally placed in our arms.  She was premature, but her lungs were formed, and she was beautiful!  She had a full head of dark hair and bright blue eyes that looked from one of us to the other. 

In that moment, I smiled tiredly down at her, knowing that we had both been saved by blood.  The seemingly small act of a stranger had produced great miracles that changed the course of our lives and our family’s history forever. 

We’ll never be able to thank our anonymous hero, but if you are someone who cares enough to donate blood, just know that someone out there is thanking God tonight for you.  You are a hero to somebody!

I’m super grateful for people who gave blood and made it possible for me to live to give birth twice more after that and be here to raise my children!

This blog story was written by DeAnna Murphy – American Red Cross co-blood program leader for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Waconia, MN, blood donor, author and Top 100 Global Coaching Leader. She is also the mother of three, and grandmother of four. She currently lives in the Minneapolis area.

Want to be someone’s hero? Schedule a blood donation today. Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information.