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Become A First Aid, CPR/AED Instructor Today! Volunteer as an American Red Cross instructor and teach others the skills they need to save lives. You can help the American Red Cross reach people in your community with lifesaving training, including CPR, first aid and automated external defibrillation. For more information contact the Berkshire County chapter of the American Red Cross chapter at (413) 442-1506 or complete the application to teach health & safety courses and submit it to the chapter via email, fax (413-448-6051) or in person at 480 West Street in Pittsfield. Together, we can save a life.

Welcome to the American Red Cross of Berkshire County

The HIV/AIDS Program Rolls Out New Prevention Education for Pre-School through 2nd Grade Students!

A new germ control program is now available to local schools, daycares and area churches to train our young people how to contain their coughs and sneezes to the crook of their elbow.

The Germy Wormy program has a 15 minute video that discusses how cough and sneeze germs spread in the air and on objects and then transmitted to people which can make people sick. The program comes with a disposable sleeve for each child to wear on their arm and when they have to cough and sneeze they direct the germs to Germy Wormy who is very hungry. Germy Wormy does not get sick with colds like children do because the germs are food to Germy Wormy.

The importance keeping hands away from eyes, nose and mouth as well as the importance of proper hand washing are also explored in the Program through discussion and activities.

Contact Lee McCasland at 413-442-1506 x 21 for more information or to schedule a program. The Program is offered free of charge to local groups. Germy Wormy sleeves are not yet available in stores but are now available through a link on the Berkshire County Red Cross website. A special discount for schools and daycares and larger orders is available.

Pandemic Flu Information and Resources

In April 2009 an outbreak of human cases of swine influenza (H1N1) was discovered in North America, and cases are being found in a growing number of states and countries. The World Health Organization has increased its alert level to reflect the spread of the outbreak, and public health and government officials have been working to assess the spread and severity of this flu.

The mission of the American Red Cross is helping people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. The Red Cross not only responds to tens of thousands of disasters each year, but also has responded to many public health emergencies in the past such as the influenza pandemic of 1918.

Currently, the American Red Cross is monitoring the developing situation and is in close contact with federal and state officials, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security. For several years, scientists have been informing organizations in the U.S. and abroad about the significant possibility of an influenza (flu) pandemic occurring. At this time the best action the public can take now is prepare and prevent further spread of the virus.

Please visit www.RedCross.org for up-to-date information as well as additional resources including website links and documents for distribution.

Response to the Swine Flu

The following message is from Suzy DeFrancis, National American Red Cross Chief Public Affairs Officer:

With the increasing news coverage of the swine flu outbreak, we wanted to provide an update on Red Cross efforts. Over the weekend, we were in close coordination with federal, state and local government authorities and we will continue that effort. We also are in communication with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Geneva, Switzerland. Our priority right now is to maintain the blood supply, educate the public on ways to stay healthy and continue to provide vital disaster relief services.

Talking Points:

• The American Red Cross is monitoring the developing situation with this new strain of human swine flu and is in close contact with federal and state officials, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security.
• As health experts across the world seek to get more information and a better understanding of the scope and severity of the swine flu outbreak, this is a good time for families, businesses and organizations to review and update their preparedness plans.
• The recent news reports may be causing public concern, with people wondering what they can do. In addition to updating their preparedness plans, people should also follow common sense basic public health practices, such as covering your cough/sneeze with a tissue, frequent hand-washing, visiting a doctor for flu-like symptoms and staying home when sick.
• While Red Cross organizations in Mexico and other nations provide basic medical care to the public as part of their ongoing mission, the American Red Cross and its chapters have different responsibilities, and focus more on providing shelter, food and mental health counseling.
• The American Red Cross and its chapters will continue to work with government officials on the swine flu issue and stand ready to help as appropriate. The American Red Cross is committed to maintaining the blood supply for the public, to educating the public on preparedness and safety, and to ensuring that we can continue to provide disaster services to those in need.
• For people seeking information on human swine flu, the CDC Web site provides the latest information, which can also be obtained by calling 1-800-CDC-INFO. For general information on seasonal flu and how to stay healthy, please refer to the Seasonal Flu Checklist (English PDF, 322KB | Spanish PDF, 203KB) or www.RedCross.org.

Can Drive to benefit the Armed Services

People all over the county are helping collect recyclable cans and plastic bottles to benefit Services for the Armed Forces And Their Families at your Berkshire Red Cross. "The economy is tough right now," said Kathleen Phillips, Executive Director of the Berkshire Red Cross, "and we wanted to find an easy way for people to help out that didn’t necessarily require them to reach for their wallets."

Simply collect as many recyclable cans and plastic bottles as possible and then you can either:

• Deliver them to your Red Cross Office at 480 West Street in Pittsfield
• Take them to a can and bottle processing center (at your local supermarket or beverage store) and then mail the receipt or proceeds to your Red Cross Office at 480 West Street in Pittsfield, 01201

All proceeds support Services for the Armed Forces And Their Families at your American Red Cross of Berkshire County.

For more details, please call (413) 442-1506.

Please help.

"The neat thing about this promotion," Phillips added, "is that recycling is great for the whole world and now it helps the Red Cross too."

The American Red Cross is where people mobilize to help their neighbors - across the street, across the country and across the world - in emergencies. The Red Cross helps thousands of U.S. service members separated from their families by military duty stay connected. Each year, in communities large and small, victims of some 70,000 disasters turn to neighbors familiar and new - the nearly 1 million volunteers and 35,000 employees of the Red Cross. Through almost 900 locally supported chapters, more than 15 million people gain the skills they need to prepare for and respond to emergencies in their homes, communities and world. Some 4 million people give blood - the gift of life - through the Red Cross, making it the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, a global network of 181 national societies, the Red Cross helps restore hope and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work. The American National Red Cross is headquartered in Washington, Gail J. McGovern is President and CEO, and Bonnie McElveen-Hunter is Chairman of the Board of Governors.

The American Red Cross of Berkshire County is proud to now offer the life saving services of Link to Life through its new alliance. This Personal Emergency Response System will allow you or a loved one to get the help they need with the touch of a button. By simply pressing the water-resistant Help Button, Subscribers can summon the help of the police, ambulance or fire department, or even a family member or neighbor. Link to Life also maintains a complete list of medications and medical conditions on each Subscriber to help ensure the best medical attention possible.

As a kick off for this exciting new service, Link to Life will be offering friends of American Red Cross free installation (a savings of $25). The monthly cost of service is $34.95 (plus state tax) and may be covered by Mass Health.

Link to Life provides help when you need it and peace of mind when you do not.

Give yourself or a loved one the gift of safety and independence in 2007
For more information or to order service, please call
Link to Life-American Red Cross
1.877.434.9871
or
visit us at www.linktolife.com

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