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Red Cross helps USU students in time of need By
Dan Crane Last October students of Utah State University were flooded out of the Kampus Korner apartments. Because the students had no insurance and most of them did not live near their parents' home, they were left with no place to go. That is, until the Cache Valley chapter of the American Red Cross came to lend a helping hand. The local chapter of the Red Cross helped clean out the apartments and arranged for the students to stay at a hotel for free. "We just did what we could until they could get back on their feet," said Justin Hamilton, a USU student and president of the youth affirmation for the Cache Valley chapter of the American Red Cross. Hundreds of Cache Valley residents volunteer their time and resources to the Red Cross program. "As volunteers of Red Cross we find ways to serve and protect Logan and it's community," said Jeff Krommenhoek, a Red Cross volunteer. Logan resident, Roxanna King was 13 years old and living in Costa Rica while her father was working for the United Nations. One night, while her father was out of town, her mom woke her up to see three feet of water outside King's window with broken trees everywhere. A hurricane had hit the island in the middle of the night. "We grabbed my two siblings, two bottles of milk and rushed to the car. Once we were driving down the street, we did not know where to go because we could not distinguish the river from the road. At that moment, when I thought there was no hope, the Red Cross came to help us," King said. The Red Cross took the King's to a nearby shelter, where they housed and fed hundreds of people they helped rescue in the night. A few years after the hurricane hit, King's mom pulled her aside before she died of cancer. "She asked if I remembered that night in Costa Rica, when the Red Cross saved their lives. Then she made me promise [to] give back to the Red Cross by being a volunteer," King said. After her retirement as director for the Bear River Administrations, King is dedicated full time to the Red Cross. King is now the executive director of the Cache Valley chapter of the American Red Cross. She is just one example of the many others across the world that volunteer. "There are 1,100 chapters of the Red Cross with millions of volunteers, that helped 63,000 disasters this year," said Hamilton. The idea of the Red Cross started in 1859, when Henry Dunant came upon the scene of a bloody battle in Solferino, Italy. Some 40,000 men were dead or dying on the battlefield because they lacked medical attention. Dunant, a young Swiss, organized local people to bind the soldiers' wounds, feed and comfort them. "Through Dunant's efforts, the International Red Cross was created in Geneva, Switzerland in 1863," said Hamilton. "Now there are chapters in about 175 countries." The United States is included in those 175 countries. Its first society was established in Washington D.C. by Clara Barton in 1881 and now has 1.2 million volunteers each year. "The Red Cross was designed to provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies," said Krommenhoek. Now, as a global symbol of service, the Red Cross does more than donate blood. Its volunteers provide services in areas such as: disaster relief, armed forces, health and safety, biomedical and youth involvement. Red Cross disaster relief focuses on meeting people's immediate emergency disaster-caused needs. When a disaster threatens or strikes, the Red Cross provides shelter, food, and health and mental health services to address basic human needs. Featuring the latest in computer and telecommunications technology, the American Red Cross Emergency Service Center delivers around-the-clock emergency communication services to active duty military personnel and their families. Through the health and safety program, the Red Cross teaches CPR, babysitting safety, aids awareness, first aid, and other classes. The biomedical services include plasma, blood and tissue donations. They are now working on the anthrax situation and looking for the best possible solution. One goal of the Red Cross is to provide young people with meaningful opportunities for education, training, and volunteer/community service so that they remain a part of the Red Cross family throughout their lives. "Young people up to age 24 make up 40 percent of all Red Cross volunteers," said Hamilton. "Across the globe, one can see the effects that the Red Cross has made in thousands of people's lives everyday," said Krommenhoek. According to the Red Cross website at www.redcross.org, the Red Cross is stationed all over the world working on thousands acts of service. Currently the American Red Cross is assisting Texas flood victims. As the extensive flooding has damaged hundreds of homes and killed 10 people, Red Cross workers have established disaster relief operations to provide families with necessities, such as clothes, shoes and medicine. Thousands of miles from Texas, the Red Cross is giving 10,000 gift parcels filled with school supplies, toys, treats, hygiene items and winter hats to the thousands of displaced Afghan children. "It is from the American children to the Afghan children to say, 'Hey, we care about you and just want to give you something to help you get through this difficult time,'" said Barbara Wesig, an American Red Cross international services worker at national headquarters. The Red Cross is even in Russia as part of a global effort to battle diseases. The Red Cross has received $3.4 million to try to win this effort. "I was very impressed with what Red Cross has done to help the disaster in New York City," said Hamilton. The Red Cross website also says that the non-profit organization has provided $136.8 million between Sept. 11 and Nov. 9 to help over 25,000 families in need since the disaster. "They (the Red Cross) helped provide temporary shelter, emotional and spiritual counseling, cash assistance and rescue and recovery volunteers," said Hamilton. "They gave 100,000 meals a day in New York, which ... totals more than a million." "It amazes me all the good the human race can do if we all work together (toward) one common goal," said Hamilton. "Whether you live in Costa Rica, Switzerland or Logan, the Red Cross is always looking for volunteers. It is a great way to give back to the community."
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