m14840255 Midway Kansas Commitments Spring 12

7/17/2019 m14840255 Midway Kansas Commitments Spring 12

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/m14840255-midway-kansas-commitments-spring-12 1/8Take the plunge: Get involved

American Red CrossMidway-Kansas Chapter

Spring 2012

At age 15, Stacy Beardslee always wanted to

help people. That’s why she signed up to

become a lifeguard the second she was old

enough. Nine years later on July 23, Stacy would face

the biggest test of her still-evolving healthcare career.

Now 23, Stacy was pursuing a nursing degree at

Emporia State University and managing the Salt City

Splash aquatics park in Hutchinson during the sum-

mer. While in Salt City’s clubhouse, an alarm went

off alerting her that a lifeguard had left his chair.

Stacy went to see what happened.

“You could just tell something had gone horribly

wrong,” Stacy said. “You could feel it.”

A lifeguard had pulled a small two-year-old

boy from the pool. The boy’s face was blue, and his

eyes had rolled to the back of his head. After telling

someone to call 9-1-1, Stacy and the lifeguard per-

formed tandem CPR on the young child. Everythingwas quiet except for the mother begging Stacy to

save her son.

The pocket mask lifeguards use to apply

rescue breaths covered the toddler’s entire

face. After what seemed like

forever – in reality just two

minutes had passed – it

suddenly became hard to

give the boy rescue

breaths. Trainingtold Stacy to

stop and check

the child.

When she did,

she saw two

conscious blue eyes

quietly staring at her.

“It’s just an amazing range of emotions you

encounter when you’re hearing a mother begging

and not knowing if you’ll be able to save them or

not,” Stacy said. “And then you hand her the child

you just saved. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

While Stacy always kind of knew her path,

lifeguarding is something she encourages all teenag-

ers to think about. Stacy describes it as a great job

that was available every summer, and it provided

her opportunities for advancement while instilling

responsibility.

If you know a teenager who might need a sum-

mer job, tell them to look at lifeguarding. Classes are

starting soon, and like Stacy, they might look back

and think it was the best decision they ever made.

Lifeguard’s experience grooms life path

Make a SplashLast fall we told you about five

individuals who made it their personal

goal to get involved with the American

Red Cross. Now it’s your turn.

In this edition you’ll learn how and

why you should get involved with

one of the most recognized

and trusted organizations

in the world. So take

the plunge and make a

difference today.

From left, coworkers Sarah Mullinsand Stacy Beardslee break from dutiesat Salt City Splash.


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As always, the Midway-Kansas Chapter strives

for accountability, efficiency, transparency and

service delivery. The Midway-Kansas Chapter

wants you to have confidence that your

support is making a difference. Below are

the ways your support made a difference

October through December in 2011.

44 families (139 individuals) who had

house fires received assistance for

emergency needs that included

food, rent and motel lodging.

92 military family

households utilized emergency

communication through the

Services to the Armed Forces

program, keeping them

connected and reassured.

120 families were helped with rent and utilities

so that they could stay in their homes.

416 families received utility assistance through

the Project Deserve program.

339 seniors received trips to and from their

medical appointments including chemotherapy and

dialysis. Volunteers made 3,726 trips.

28,870 meals served at

congregate meal sites to 2,070 seniors.

13,776 meals served to

280 homebound participants.

708 students trained in first

aid, CPR, babysitting training,

HIV/AIDS education, pet first

aid and water safety.

American Red Cross Midway-Kansas Chapter

By the Numbers

Sumner Cowley

Sedgwick Butler



Red CrossBoard of Directo

Jorge Martinez, Ch

Paul Black, Vice Ch

Julie Bachman, Sec

Suzie Ahlstrand

Julie Bachman

Paul Black

Jill Casado

Mark E. Cathey

Robert Crawford

John DeCesaro

J. Chris Dennis

Nick Dondlinger

Fredrick L. Eilts

Sharon Fearey

W. Rick Griffin

Barbara Hansen

Shani Hoebener

Ron HoltNicole Howerton

Sommer A. Keplar

Stuart A. Lungwitz

Pat MacDonald

Jorge Martinez

Terri S. Moses

Ronald D. Myers

Joseph T. Pajor

Sue Pearce

Abe Rodriguez

Charlie Russell

Donald R. Sherman

Halie smith

Wm. R. (Randy) Su

Paul Tobia

C. Edward Watson

Barry West

Honorary LifetiMembers

Dan Carney

G. Robert Gadberry

Velma Lunt Wallace

George Trombold, e

Staff

Beverly Morlan,

Executive Director

Noel Anderson,

Assistant Executive

James Williams,

Public Relations Ma

Spring is busy for everyone. And while we

leave home for things like barbecues and

ball games, it can also mean children are

left alone at the house. As families fill their busy

spring calendars, the American Red Cross has

steps in place for children who might be spend-

ing time home alone.

Red Cross recommends that parents and

guardians take the following steps if a child

will be home alone:

■ Post an emergency phone list where the

children can see it. Include 9-1-1, the

parents’ work and cell numbers, numbers

for neighbors, and the numbers for anyone

else who is close and trusted.

■ Identify neighbors whose home your child

can go to in case of an emergency that

requires your child to leave your home.

■ Limit any cooking a young child can do.Make sure at least one approved smoke

alarm is installed and operating on each

level of the home.

Safety Steps for Children When talking to kids about being at home

alone, parents should stress the following steps

and post them somewhere to remind the child

about what they should or shouldn’t do until

mom, dad or caregiver get home:

■ Never open the door to strangers. Always

check before opening the door to anyone,

looking out through a peephole or window

first. Only open the door for people that

parents and guardians have given you

permission to let in the house. If unsure,

contact your caregiver.

■ Never tell someone on the telephone that

the parents are not at home. Say something

like “He or she is busy right now. Can I

take a message?”

■ Never open the door to delivery people or

service representatives. Ask delivery people

to leave the package at the door or tell

them to come back at another time. Service

representatives, such as a TV cable installer,

should have an appointment when an adultis home.

Consider babysitter’straining for youth

Many tweens and teens are responsible

for watching younger siblings. The Red Cross

Babysitter’s Training course provides 11- to

15-year-olds with the knowledge and skills nec-

essary to safely and responsibly provide care for

children and infants. Call 1-800-RED-CROSS

or visit www.redcross.org for more information.

M A K I N G O U R C O M M U N I T I E S S A F E R

Be Red Cross Ready

Home-alone safety tips for young people



The American Red Cross has launched the next

generation of Red Cross health and safety

training. You can learn from a program that

incorporates the latest science and offers two-year

certification with free digital refreshers, the choice

of free digital or affordable print course materials

and an online learning center that allows for digital

resources and course management.

Online or in the classroom, you’ll learn about

the state-of-the-art practices that are proven to save

lives. Thanks to the new format, you can studythe book at home and then receive more focused

hands-on help when you’re ready to apply

what you’ve learned. It’s a new philosophy

that’s been welcomed by businesses.

Red Cross offers organizations the

choice to train their employees onsite,

at a Red Cross chapter or through a

train-the-trainer model. It also provides

large organizations a standardized nationwide

training option that is taught and recognizedthroughout the country.

“We believe the new first aid, CPR and AED

program provides our customers with a better, more

interactive training experience, along with greater

value and convenience,” said Allison Clubb, Kansas

territory service delivery manager for Preparedness,

Health and Safety Services. “The new structure

allows for more individualized attention when

they practice, which we think the custom-

er will appreciate.”

A recent Red Cross

survey shows that one in

every four people say they have been

in a situation where someone needed CPR.

“Getting trained in CPR and first aid skills

is important for everybody,” Allison said.

“You never know when you might need

to respond to an emergency, so beingprepared is key. Nobody can help you do

that better than the Red Cross.”

Besides training for first aid, CPR

and AED, Red Cross can also teach the

use of asthma inhalers, epinephrine auto-injectors,

manufactured tourniquets and blood-borne patho-

gens. It’s next-generation training that Red Cross will

continue to expand. This year, customers can expect

additional training programs for lifeguarding and

aquatic examiner services.“Now is a perfect opportunity to learn,” Allison

said. “When people complete their training, they

truly feel confident in their skills to save a life.”

To schedule group or individual training, contac

1-800-RED-CROSS or visit www.redcross.org

training for more information.

CPR classes are starting soonWhen the challenge arises, don’t miss an opportunity to save someone’s

life. If you’re not CPR certified, register for one of our Next Generation

CRP classes today.

Adult First Aid/CPR/AEDMarch 1, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. + March 17, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AEDMarch 5, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. + March 24, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

To see a complete list of classes and to register, visit www.redcross.org.



PR and first aid training are something

you’ve probably thought about at some

point. It might have been a requirement

for your schooling or even for employment purposes.

Maybe you have had the desire to learn these skills,

but you’ve repeatedly put it off for one

reason or another. You

haven’t had the time or

you just haven’t looked

into a schedule.

Whether you have

had CPR training in the

past or want to take CPRtraining in the future, I

want to encourage you

to think about the value

this training provides to

our communities and the

confidence it provides to you as well.

The chances you will encounter an emergency

are greater than you think. Every day in homes,

parks and workplaces across the United States, some-

one will have a heart attack. Every year, more than300,000 people die of sudden cardiac arrest. How

might you respond in an emergency situation?

Would you know what to do or what care to give?

Perhaps a family member or friend has been helped

by a person trained in CPR or first aid. Think about if

that person had not taken the time to receive training.

Important skills like CPR and first aid empower

people to help save lives in emergency situations.

Red Cross training can

prepare you to help

others and sup-

port safer com-

munities. Take

the time to find the closest training class to you and

sign up today. The commitment you make today

could save a life tomorrow.

Allison Clubb is the territory service delivery manager

for the American Red Cross and oversees all prepared-

ness, health and safety training for the state of Kansas.

She has been a life-long advocate for CPR training and

water safety. Allison joined the Red Cross in 2008. Prior

to working for Red Cross, Allison was responsible for

water safety activities in Park City.

For information on how you can become CPR certified,

visit www.redcross.org and select “take a class.”

Training could save a life

T A K I N G T I M E W I T H

American Red Cross Midway-Kansas Chapter

DisasterPreparedness

ClassesDisaster classes start March 5,

and Red Cross needs your help to

respond to disasters large and small.

Make a difference in south-central Kansas

by training to become a volunteer today.

Visit www.midwaykansas.redcross.org to register.



Both locally and nationally, your American

Red Cross experienced one of the most

destructive years on record. While more

people learned about the incredible help Red Cross

provides, the organization is certainly happy 2011

is a distant memory.

“Without any real trend or specific reason, Red

Cross in Wichita saw a huge increase in the number

of fires we were called to,” said Bev Morlan, Midway-

Kansas executive director. “It started busy and just

didn’t let up. Except for Fire Prevention Month inOctober, our volunteers kept extremely busy working

to help families who had lost everything.”

Throughout 2011, Red Cross volunteers would

often respond to multiple fires a day. It was their

desire to make a difference that kept them going. By

Dec. 31, Red Cross locally had set a new record by

responding to 279 fires that affected nearly 850 peo-

ple. But Red Cross wasn’t just busy in south-central

Kansas. Across the country, Red Cross helped families

in what seemed like overlapping disaster seasons.

“The number of lives affected by large disasters

in the past year was simply staggering,” Bev said.

“Across the country, devastating tornadoes, flood-

ing and wildfires wiped out entire neighborhoods.

Through it all, the Red Cross, its partners and com-

munities nationwide responded offering people shel-

ter, food and comfort.”

Nationally, Red Cross responded to 137 big U.S.

relief operations in 46 states including Kansas. Fromflooding and hurricanes on the East Coast to torna-

does in the South, volunteers distributed 2.6 million

relief items and served more than 6.7 million meals.

“Our volunteers were the ones who made the

difference,” Bev said. “They did an amazing job help-

ing people recover, but 2011 showed we need more.

We’ll always have a demand for good people looking

to help others.”

Red Cross responds to record-setting year

Forced from her home with nothing left, a fire victim keeps warm with a blanket whilereceiving emotional support from Red Cross volunteers.



Do something for Red CrossMonth during March

March is Red Cross Month, and Red Cross wants

you to get involved. From saving a life to changing a

life, this edition of Commitments is highlighting the

amazing things you can achieve while operating under

the umbrella of the Red Cross mission to help people

prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.

Do something. Become CPR certified, learn

to help a neighbor recover from a house fire or

give blood. You’ll be astonished by the people

you’ll meet and the places you’ll go. Until then,

be a part of the Red Cross conversation at Twitter.

com/WichitaRedCross or join us at Facebook.com/

WichitaRedCross.

Become a Red Cross volunteerThe American Red Cross needs you to take

the plunge and become a volunteer. With a record

year locally for house fires and a nonstop response

nationally to disasters, Red Cross volunteers had

countless opportunities to make a difference.

Now you can make a difference, too. Visit www.

midwaykansas.redcross.org to see a list of oppor-

tunities and become a volunteer to help down the

street or across the country. All disaster training is

free, and you’ll be taught by some of the best in the

business. So register today. You’ll quickly learn why

Red Cross is one of the most trusted and recognized

organizations in the world.

Heroes Breakfast recognizesextraordinary efforts

Wichita Heroes Breakfast was once again a

resounding success. On Dec. 14, 2011, more than

$30,000 was raised to support residents in south-

central Kansas. At the Wichita Marriott, 10 ordinary

people who performed extraordinary acts were rec-

ognized for going above and beyond to make our

community a better place to live, work and play.

The Red Cross would like to thank all the spon-

sors and attendees who made 2011’s event the best

year yet.

C H A P T E R N E W S B R I E F S

Capitol Federal

Emprise Bank

INTRUST Bank

iSi Environmental

Metro Xpress

NuStar Energy, L.P.

CCH – a WoltersKluwer Business

Universal Lubricants

Butler CommunityCollege

Douglas PhotographicImaging

Abengoa Bioenergy

Blue Cross and BlueShield of Kansas

Kansas Gas Service

Star Lumber &Supply Co.

Workforce Alliance ofSouth Central Kansas

Quik Print

Susan’s

FOX Kansas & My TVWichita

Thank you to the businesses and individuals that made the 2011 Heroes Breakfast possible.



Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDWichita, KansasPermit No.1636

1900 E. DouglasWichita, Kansas 67214

Call (316) 219-4000or visit our website

midwaykansas.redcross.org

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

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The Midway-Kansas Chapter is

always looking to improve. We

ask that you provide us your

honest, sincere feedback so we

can continue to provide you with

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fill out the survey and return it

using the self-addressed envelope

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as we look forward to bringing you

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m14840255 Midway Kansas Commitments Spring 12