My Red Cross IHL Experience in Action Alley

This post comes from Shannon Vance, Bradley University student and Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Action Campaign Team Member.

If you ever want to have your art skills tested, apply to present at a conference. Suddenly all those years of coloring outside the lines and avoiding the art studio are coming back to haunt you. I’m only kidding of course, but this is house I felt when I realized two months later I would be presenting on Child Soldiers at the Midwest Regional Conference for Amnesty International.

Let me back up. The International Humanitarian Law Action Campaign (associated with the American Red Cross) on Bradley’s campus started last fall and created a simulation on child soldiers the spring I was in Denmark. This simulation reached hundreds of students and was nationally recognized by National Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Bradley students stood among the few schools that were recognized at a conference in early June where they had the chance to present their activity. August comes around and two of my fellow team members and I were approached to present our campaign’s success at this Amnesty International conference. All I was thinking was “This is going to be so cool! An Amnesty International conference!!” In other words, I was geeking out.

Water Safety With Purpose

As the school year closes, summer is approaching. Some people will be enjoying outdoor pursuits. I know our area youth will be. The Youth Department is currently in high gear teaching a trifecta of classes geared to make area students have a safer summer. One of these classes is called “Whale’s Tales.”

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a chupacabra?

I think I have talked about where I live before, it is an old farmhouse in the kinda country.  I live on the edge of town in Morton, IL and my house is 75% surrounded with fields.

Ye ole farmhouse

As you can imagine, along with the location comes critters.  We have the occasional opossum that wants to live in the barn, field mice, rabbits and coyotes.  And now we can add a “chupacabra” to the list.  For those of you who have no idea what a chupacabra is, according to Wikipedia, it is a legendary cryptid rumored to inhabit parts of the Americas.  Physical descriptions of the creature vary. It is reported to be a heavy creature, the size of a small bear, with a row of spines reaching from the neck to the base of the tail or an evil-looking, dog-like animal with long snout.  They pray on small livestock like goats.

Here is a drawing from an eye witness. Ohhh Spooky!

I know what you are thinking… Erin has lost her mind and watches way too much SyFy, but check out the pic of what has been roaming around the house over the last week.

Ugly lil “chupacabra”, isn’t he???

It looks like an evil, dog-like creature, doesn’t it? Many experts have investigated sightings and say they are coyotes with mange.  I really don’t know, but I have lived in central Illinois my entire life, and have never seen the likes of this.  When we first saw it running around, this was the exchange of words in the kitchen as we were all pressed against the window…

Me – What in the world is that???

My boyfriend – Is it a hairless coyote?

Me – I don’t know.  Maybe it is one of those ugly dogs with no hair that people spend way too much money on. 

My boyfriend – It could be a dog with mange that got dumped.

My 16 year-old son – No way! That looks like a chupacabra!

So, that is how our latest bit of wildlife got it’s name.  We had hoped that it would just move on, but with daily sightings, I started to worry that it could be sick or that we could accidentally surprise it sometime, forcing it to defend itself.  I decided it was time to call the professionals.

Yesterday, I called animal control who referred me to the police department who referred me to DNR.  Long story short, none of them had a clue what this thing was for certain but guessed it was either a hairless fox or a hairless coyote.  All of them said the same thing, I could try to trap it or I could just make a lot of noise whenever I saw it to scare it off.  Not really the answers I wanted, but it is what it is. We decided that we would be very aware of our surroundings when outside and be loud when we see it.  In the interim, I decided to see what the Red Cross had to say about dealing with “chupacabras”.

I started to research and found a fab little class we teach called Bow Wow Ow.  It trains children about how to be safe around dogs and what to do to avoid dog bites.  Sure it was a stretch, but “chupacabras” are reportedly dog-like.

The class addresses more than 12 common situations where children could have a negative experience with dogs and then illustrates the proper behavior children should possess while in each situation. These teaching points, along with common sense and adult supervision, go a long way in preventing dog bite-related injuries.

• For example, kids want to know why dogs want to bite us when we just want to pet them and the response is they don’t want to bite us, it is just the way dogs express themselves and they maybe scared of humans.  So noted… I will not attempt to pet the chupacabra.
• Another lesson teaches children why dogs bark so much, it is just their way of telling you how they feel. Got it… the chupacabra is not barking because it doesn’t really care to tell me how it feels.  That’s okay with me.

In all seriousness, the Bow Wow Ow class is pretty awesome for young kids and it’s free, so you can’t beat that.  Our instructors go to area schools and teach children about being safe through tons of classes. (Click here to see all that we offer.) Fall class scheduling is now open, so feel free to let your child’s teacher know they should contact Monica.Grugett@redcross.org to schedule their free classes. I do not recommend asking her for “chupacabra” safety training though, her office is next to mine and she thinks that I have completely lost my mind. 😉

Are you procrastinating?

Meet Fred… he is the official stuff-haver that discovers that the Red Cross holiday catalog makes shopping easier.

It is just a little over a week until Christmas… Are you finished shopping?  Don’t lie.  I know many of you are waiting until Christmas Eve, and if you are, then be sure to read the official Monica Grugett holiday tips.

I am not writing this post to brag about how I was 100% done shopping last Friday.  (Nee-ner Nee-ner) I am just here to give you a few shopping ideas (because I am just helpful like that) for the difficult people on your shopping list.

If you want to give someone something a little different, then check out our holiday catalog.  I mean seriously, these individuals do not need another scarf or sweater.   Just think about their poor closet bar trying to hold up all that stuff! Do them (and their closet bar) a favor and buy them something that means something! The items in the Red Cross holiday catalog don’t require hangers.

Give a class or first aid kit.  Through January 31, 2013, the Red Cross is offering 20% off training AND 20% off first aid kits.  That is an awesome deal! Our certification last two years, so it might possibly be a gift that covers two Christmases (okay, prolly not… don’t try that excuse). Click here or call 1-800-REDCROSS to buy someone a CPR class using the code HOLIDAY0113. Use the same code to buy a first aid kit by clicking here.  (First aid kits are great gifts! Everyone in my family has one because I always say if you have it, you will never need it.)

So no more procrastinating! Finish shopping and start enjoying the season!

Feel Good Friday: Real Life ARC Story

I know I have mentioned before how much I am digging the new RedCross.org, but I am going to say it again.  This new Real Life Stories section is my favorite!

Here is a recent submission called… Taking a CPR/First Aid class made me a lifesaver for my family

I became a Red Cross CPR/First Aid Trainer to help out the Private School I work at in certification for all Teachers and support staff. Little did I know after becoming a Trainer when my Grandson was 7 days old he stopped breathing. My Daughter yelled from her room, “he’s not breathing”. I ran to her room and watched myself bring him back to life. He spent the next 7 days in the hospital. But my Grandson, Ronnie, is now 4 years old and the light of my life. Taking the class to help others turned out to be the lifesaver of my family.

If you are not trained, then please click here to remedy that!