A picture tells a thousand words

Many have asked us what exactly we have done to help those affected by the November 17th tornadoes.  It is hard to put into words everything we have done because, to be honest, we have done a lot. So, I figured it was time to make a brief video showing you.

Even though this video highlights the initial response, it is important to remember that our work is not done.  We will be there for the months to come assisting families and supporting them as they travel their long, and at times difficult, road to recovery.

Recov-er-wha

Even though I have been up to my eyeballs in Red Cross relief over the last couple weeks, I still try to chat with my “for real” boss everyday. Whether it’s a call in a morning or a meeting after hours, I usually try to touch base with her about what she is hearing and how best to respond.

Tonight, we talked about how to communicate to the public what our next steps are in this response effort. As we chit chatted, I told her about how I was handling questions pertaining to the coming months and how funds will be used. My boss listened and then politely commented, “You use the word ‘recovery’ a lot. That’s means something to us, but not to everyone else”. Ugh. She was right, I was speaking Red-Cross-u-gease.

Coming together as strangers and leaving as friends

PEORIA, Ill. (Nov. 28, 2013) — On this Thanksgiving Day, more than 150 American Red Cross workers remain on duty in Central Illinois, providing disaster relief services to those affected by the tornadoes that on Nov. 17 tore through this area.

When the Universalist Unitarian Church of Peoria learned that the Red Crossers would be missing their Thanksgiving Day dinner with friends and family, the church members immediately stepped forward.

“When the call went out to serve Thanksgiving Dinner to the Red Cross we had 10 members of our congregation come forward in the first hour to help,” said congregation member Maury Brucker. “Ultimately, we had many more people volunteer than the 25 or so we needed.”

Let your family know you are safe and well

After a disaster, while you may be okay, your friends and relatives may not know and continue to worry about you. The best way to let everyone know that you’re safe is to register with the American Red Cross Safe and Well program.

It’s quick and easy: Go to www.redcross.org/safeandwell. Fill in the information, click on the messages you want to include. There is even space for a short personal message. At the end click Register and you’re done.

All in the Red Cross family

In my normal Red Cross world, I am one girl with a big job. I work with 12 offices that serve over 2 million people in central Illinois and Northeast Missouri. And even though I work with incredible staff and volunteers every day, there are times I feel very alone as only one set of shoulders carries my workload. But all that changed this week.

On Sunday, I was sent to my basement in Morton, IL by my Red Cross tornado app, and when I emerged, I knew almost immediately that it was bad. After a quick call with disaster staff, I hopped in the shower. When I finished blowing my hair dry, I saw I was already getting slammed with emails and texts. But they weren’t from disaster staff, they were from Red Crossers across the country. Here are just a few of the messages…