American Red Cross Midway-Kansas Chapter

Winter 2011

If you take your children to see Santa at the mall, what do they ask for? What do you think Santa would ask for? Unbeknownst to the hundreds of

children who gleefully shared their wishes, the Santa they were talking to had just lost his home.

Last winter, Dan Pracht, Santa Claus at Towne West Mall, and his family lost their home to a fire caused by a space heater. As they sat in their truck to keep warm, the family watched their home burn down. Dan’s wife Anna May reassured the grand-children that everything would be OK. “It’s just a house,” she said.

Then, without notice, the American Red Cross

arrived on the scene to help. Thanks to support from the community, Red Cross provided the family with food, shelter and the gift the Pracht family gave to so many others: hope that soon everything would be better.

The Prachts, like many, had no idea house fires are the most common disaster Red Cross responds to. Similar to how Santa brings joy to children, Red Cross volunteers bring hope to families.

Thanks to Red Cross volunteers and donations, the Pracht family received money for food lost in the fire and was given warm shelter. Sometimes, Santa needs help, too.

Sometimes Santa needs help, too

Be sure to visit page 6 to see how you’re

helping the American Red Cross respond

to more fires in south-central Kansas

than ever before.

Anna Mae and Dan Pracht wait for financial assistance after losing everything in a fire.

that matter

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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 July through September this year.

90 families (300 individuals) who had house fires received assistance for emergency needs that included food, rent and motel lodging.

91 military family households utilized emergency communication through the Services to the Armed Forces program, keeping them connected and reassured.

142 families were helped with rent and utilities so that they could stay in their homes.

421 families received utility assistance through the Project Deserve program.

31,877 meals served at congregate meal sites to 1,260 seniors.

15,130 meals served to 312 homebound participants.

415 seniors received trips to and from their appointments including chemotherapy and dialysis. Volunteers made 4,065 trips.

2,650 students trained in first aid,

CPR, babysitting training, HIV/AIDS education, pet first aid and water safety.

17,474 hours given by volunteers totaling $310,687.

American Red Cross Midway-Kansas Chapter

By the Numbers

Sumner Cowley

Sedgwick Butler

Red CrossBoard of Directors

Jorge Martinez, Chair

Paul Black, Vice Chair

Julie Bachman, Secretary

Suzie AhlstrandJulie BachmanPaul BlackJill CasadoMark E. CatheyRobert CrawfordJohn DeCesaroJ. Chris DennisNick DondlingerFredrick L. EiltsSharon FeareyW. Rick GriffinBarbara HansenShani HoebenerRon HoltNicole HowertonSommer A. KeplarStuart A. LungwitzPat MacDonaldJorge MartinezTerri S. MosesRonald D. MyersJoseph T. PajorSue PearceAbe RodriguezCharlie RussellDonald R. ShermanHalie smithWm. R. (Randy) SummersPaul TobiaC. Edward WatsonBarry West

Honorary Lifetime MembersDan Carney

G. Robert Gadberry

Velma Lunt Wallace

George Trombold, emeritus

StaffBeverly Morlan, Executive Director

Noel Anderson, Assistant Executive Director

James Williams, Public Relations Manager

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It’s amazing, really, how much a “phone” can do

today. Actually, it’s not fair to even call them phones. They can email, take pictures,

download games and other apps. During an emergency, these multi-media devices can be your best friend. But first you must be tech ready with the following tips.

Upload password protected copies of key documents to a backup or to a secure remote location. If remote access is chosen, consider choosing a backup system that is secure and accessible from a variety of devices, should yours prove inoperable. Examples of docu-ments could include insurance paperwork, copies of identification documents, pet infor-mation, basic financial information or family emergency plans.

Upload mobile apps to help stay informed of weather, evacuation routes, shelter locations and to have emergency training at your

fingertips. A few good ones include:

✚ The Red Cross “shelter finder” app that lists locations of open shelters near you during a disaster.

✚ The Red Cross “S.O.S. by the American Red Cross App,” that puts first aid and CPR information at your fingertips.

✚ FEMA’s Smartphone Application so you can apply for disaster assistance, find recovery centers and stay connected.

If you’re on social media pages like Facebook and Twitter, make sure your contact information is updated.

After a disaster, go to www.redcross.org/safeandwell and register on Safe and Well. From that site you can update your Facebook and Twitter status to let your loved ones and friends know that you are safe.

In an emergency, you still need to call 9-1-1 for help. Be patient. You may find that cell phone coverage is spotty or unavailable or that it takes a while to get through.

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

The Midway-Kansas Chapter welcomes the following

new donors into the American Red Cross family

of supporters. On behalf of the clients we serve,

thanks for giving, your gift makes a difference.

Holly AlexanderLinda J. BarnettBenjamin T. BlankleyEd DawsonDorothy Dorman

Hope and Grace FundKathryn A. MertinsTerry M. SaintWichita Church of ChristOdell Willis

Welcome New Donors

Get Tech Ready

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Gift of electricity powers Rhonda’s recovery

A fter two years of chemotherapy and two brain surgeries, Rhonda Way found herself fighting not only for her life but for a way

to pay the bills. Her second brain surgery affected movement in part of her body. Rhonda couldn’t work, but the tumor was gone. To ensure it never came back, doctors prescribed chemotherapy.

“Because of how the chemotherapy makes me feel, I need my home to be comfortable when I come home to get better,” Rhonda said. “My home is my refuge and it’s what keeps me strong. It would be unbearable if I didn’t have electricity.”

Forced on disability, Rhonda was on a fixed income and faced steep medical bills. With 17 months of chemotherapy left to go, she just didn’t have money for her electric bill.

“I just prayed and prayed that God would find an answer and then a friend told me about the Red Cross,” she said. “Thank God for that and for the American Red Cross. He led me to you.”

Thanks to supporters like you, Rhonda’s bill went from more than $400 to $16. As a client of Family Services, Rhonda qualified for emergency financial assistance because of her medical condi-tion. Last year, Red Cross helped nearly 17,000 people with rent and utility assistance. Like Rhonda, some had medical conditions, but others also quali-fied because of an unexpected loss of employment or a significant unforeseen bill. From one stranger to another, you gave them all something that meant something. You fueled their hearts and strengthened their positive outlooks.

“I could have been blind,” Rhonda said. “But I can see. So every day, I go sit outside and look at that big blue sky. Why walk around pitiful and sad?”

In Rhonda’s home, she surrounds herself with the things most important: angels, plaques with scrip-tures, and crosses. One plaque reads, “Yet you do not have because you do not ask.” It reminds Rhonda that when she needs help, she asks God, and this time he guided her to the American Red Cross.

There is no season for disparity but there is always time for hope. When strangers supported Rhonda, they gave her the strength of one of the

most trusted organizations in the world.

Last year, Red Cross helped nearly 17,000 people in south-central Kansas with rent and utility assistance.

At home, Red Cross recipient Rhonda Way surrounds herself with angels, scriptures and crosses.

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avid White has been a paramedic with Sedgwick County EMS since 1986 and a part-time Health & Safety instructor with

the American Red Cross since 1992. David has taught hundreds of CPR and first aid classes and has trained thousands of local people how to use lifesaving skills to help those in need.

Last year, David and his EMS partner responded to a call to help a man who had collapsed in his driveway. When he arrived, David realized the vic-tim was the husband of Red Cross coworker Dana McCann. David quickly determined the man was having a heart attack.

Not only did David respond with his usual quick and careful attention to the victim, he also helped console his friend and coworker who was scared and anxious. Thanks to David’s commitment to help others, Dana’s husband made a full recovery.

Last year, David received the EMS Hero Award for his heroic efforts and commit-ment to lifesaving emergency management services.

While David would say he was just doing his job, Dana and her husband are eternally grateful for knowing when they needed help, David was there to give the gift of life.

Red Cross hero stays humble

T A K I N G T I M E W I T HDavid White

Do you know a hero?If you know someone who has gone above and beyond to make a significant improvement in your life, now is the time to honor them.

Visit www.WichitaHeroesBreakfast.org and make a donation in honor of your hero. Then at Heroes Breakfast

on Dec. 14 at the Wichita Marriott, Red Cross will recognize the family, friends and loved ones that

have made a difference in your life.

Use your smart phone and QR code reader app to watch David’s story on your phone now.

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Red Cross continues holiday gift catalog

Tired of giving and receiving the same old “stuff” during the holidays? Be on the lookout for informa-tion on how you can give something that means

something this year.Following the suc-

cess of last year’s holiday campaign, Red Cross will be launching its holiday gift catalog where you can give the gifts that really matter. You’ll be able to buy a family three nights in a warm shelter after they’ve lost everything in a fire and other service-oriented gifts that will help the people that need us.

Look for more information in the coming weeks or

visit www.redcross.org/gifts to see an online version of the many different ways you’ll be able to help.

Midway-Kansas Chapter welcomes Brianna Falvey

The Midway-Kansas Chapter welcomes Brianna Falvey as development associate for the chapter. Brianna will play a vital role in the financial devel-opment department where she will create and man-age elements of special events, grant proposals and donor relations.

Prior to joining the American Red Cross, Brianna taught reading, English and mathematics to sixth graders in Herkimer, N.Y. She supported school athletics by helping coach, organizing fun-draisers and writing grants to help in the classroom

and on the field. Brianna holds a bachelor’s in edu-cation from University of New York at Fredonia and a master’s in education from Walden University.

Brianna is new to the Wichita area and looks for-

ward to continuing her passion of helping the com-munity better serve those in time of need.

Midway-Kansas Chapter on pace for record year

2011 has been a busy year for American Red Cross volunteers who respond to house fires. This year, Midway-Kansas expects to exceed its all-time high for number of fires responded to. While there’s been no specific reason to link the destructive year, Red Cross volunteers have been busier than usual keeping south-central Kansans safe.

“We started off hot by responding to a large apartment fire and it just hasn’t slowed down,” said Bill Hayes, volunteer captain for the Disaster Action Team (DAT). “At this pace, we’ll exceed 300 fires and beat last year’s number by more than 100 cases.”

You can give Bill and the rest of his DAT mem-bers the support it needs by making an end-of-year donation to the American Red Cross. For more information on how you can help, contact Noel Anderson at (316) 219-4096.

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

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Erma Mendenhall needed to make a tough choice. At 86, she knew living without any loved ones nearby wasn’t a good idea. So after

a lot of praying, she left her home in Oklahoma where she lived most of her life to be closer to her daughter in Wichita. When looking for a place in Wichita, one key selling point for her new home was the American Red Cross Good Neighbor Nutrition Program. Six years later, Erma hasn’t regret-ted the move for a second.

“I didn’t know a soul when I moved here,” Erma said. “But now, I’m completely happy, and it’s like we’re one big family.”

Erma moved to Maple Gardens Village, an apartment complex that also housed a Good Neighbor meal site. She thought it was the perfect set up. Erma could live closer to her support system, and Red Cross could introduce her to new friends through Good Neighbor Nutrition. Erma hated walking, but the com-munity meals gave her an excuse to get out and meet people. She met new friends and built a network of supporters like Mary Lou.

“Anyone who is concerned about the elderly should support this program. It keeps us healthy, active and we meet new friends,” Erma said. “Mary Lou is very precious to me, and we may have never met if it wasn’t for this program.”

Good Neighbor Nutrition is more than just a meal. The grant-funded program is dedicated to keeping seniors healthy and independent through a balanced meal and after-lunch activities like health

screenings and social activities. It’s intended for seniors older than 65 and feeds nearly 1,000 lunches a day throughout Wichita. But Erma knows Red Cross can’t keep the program going by itself because it needs volunteers and donations. Now at 92, she volunteers when she’s able.

“It gives you back your worthiness,” Erma said. “You always get back more than what you give.”

Follow Erma’s lead and help the Red Cross Good Neighbor Nutrition Program. You’ll quickly realize what so many others already know: When you give gifts that matter, you’re actually receiving more than what you gave.

Erma knows the gift is the reward

Erma Mendenhall and Mary Lou Greenen enjoy a Good Neighbor lunch at Maple Gardens Village.

The Good Neighbor Nutrition Program

Midwway-Kansas GNNP is looking for a few good volunteers.People willing to help would be asked to transport meals from preparation sites to community centers like Maple Gardens Village

where most seniors enjoy their meals.

If this is an opportunity you’re interested in, call the Good Neighbor Nutrition Program at (316) 219-4020.

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDWichita, KansasPermit No.16361900 E. Douglas

Wichita, Kansas 67214

Call (316) 219-4000or visit our website

midwaykansas.redcross.org

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