Coastal Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross

List of Coastal Carolina - American Red Cross Hurricane Earl Shelters

2010-09-02T10:23:00.002-04:00

The following is list of American Red Cross Hurricane Earl Shelters for Carteret, Craven and Pamlico Counties.

Carteret County:
Newport Middle School, 500 East Chatham Street, Newport opens at Noon

Craven County:
Ben Quinn Elementary School, 4275 Dr. M. L. King Jr. Blvd., New Bern at 4pm
Vanceboro Farm Life Elementary School, 2000 Farm Life Ave., Vanceboro at 4pm
Brinson Elementary School, 319 Neuse Forest Ave., New Bern at 4pm
Havelock High School, 101 Webb Blvd., Havelock at 4pm

Pamlico County:
Pamlico Community College, 5049 Highway 306 S., Grantsboro at 1pm

The list will be updated as more information becomes available. For more information please call the Coastal Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross at 252-637-3405.

Wendy Card
Volunteer and Board Member
Coastal Carolina Chapter

Coastal Carolina Chapter Preparing for Potential Disaster with Hurricane Earl

2010-09-01T10:08:00.003-04:00

Hurricane season is here and the Coastal Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross is preparing for a potential disaster with Hurricane Earl approaching Eastern NC.

I’m asking for your help in supporting our sheltering efforts in Carteret, Craven, Jones, and Pamlico Counties. We are potentially opening up to ten shelters.

If we use hurricane items and supplies, the costs add up, your financial support is needed along with additional personal hygiene items. Opening and managing a shelter for 24-36 hours easily costs more than $1,000. If we go through clean up kits, or any other supplies the costs quickly add up:
• $20 for a clean-up kit
• $50 for Hot meals for 5 people
• $100 4 day supply of diapers, wipes and formula
• $200 Emergency shelter for a family of 4, meals, cots, blankets, personal supplies

Any amount of financial support is needed to cover the cost of shelter openings, feeding, supplies for clean-up, and personal hygiene.

If you cannot make a monetary donation, your local Red Cross Chapter is accepting: bottled water-cases, or shrink wrapped, and salty snacks (individually packaged in cases or boxes).

Please call the Coastal Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross at 252-637-3405, visit them at 35 Shoreline Drive in River Bend; send a check (made out to Coastal Carolina Chapter - American Red Cross) to P.O. Box 10, New Bern, NC 28563.

Or call me at 252-638-6858 or send me an email and I’ll personally pick up the check (made out to Coastal Carolina Chapter - American Red Cross) or cash tomorrow between 10am - 2pm. You will receive a tax exempt donation letter for donating to your local Red Cross Chapter.

Thank You,
Wendy Card, Volunteer and Board Member of the Coastal Carolina Chapter - American Red Cross

FREE First Aid and CPR Classes!

2010-06-27T16:06:00.000-04:00

Our local American Red Cross - Coastal Carolina Chapter will be teaching FREE first aid and CPR classes sponsored by the Harold H. Bate Foundation.

Classes will be held July 10-12 from 9am-3pm at Oriental United Methodist Church, 404 Freemason Street, Oriental, NC.

Class size is limited, so please call the Coastal Carolina Chapter at 252-637-3405 to reserve your spot!

Wendy Card

BBQ for the Red Cross

2010-03-03T11:18:00.005-05:00

Moore’s Old Tyme Bar-B-Cue and Coastal Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross offer good old-fashioned barbeque! Tuesday, March 30th, 2010, enjoy pulled pork, coleslaw, potato salad, and hush puppies for only $6 per plate!

Place your order today for pick-up (or delivery by ARC volunteers for more than 10 plates)!

Call the Chapter at 252-637-3405 to place your pre-paid order over the phone (VISA and MasterCard).

Pick-up at the Red Cross station behind Moore’s Bar-B-Que from 10:00am – 12:30pm on March 30th. Place your order by Friday, March 26th!!!

All proceeds to benefit Chapter Services: Services to the Armed Forces, Health, Safety, and Disaster programs.

Coastal Carolina Chapter's Office has Moved to River Bend

2010-02-26T18:51:00.003-05:00

The Coastal Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross has moved to 35 Shoreline Dr in River Bend.

For more information, please call us at 252-637-3405.

Thank you!

Become a "HERO"

2010-02-14T11:36:00.004-05:00

Dear Friends,

We are honored to announce our Annual "Heroes" for the American Red Cross Campaign during the month of March – Red Cross Awareness Month.

We invite you to be a part of this remarkable fundraising event. The “Heroes” Campaign engages our local community to help raise funds for the Coastal Carolina Chapter. Our Chapter serves Carteret, Craven, Jones and Pamlico Counties.

The concept is very easy: Local individuals, businesses, community groups, churches, etc. are recruited to serve as "Heroes" for the American Red Cross.

These challenging economic times have significantly decreased the resources of your local Red Cross Chapter. But the needs of our community continue to grow. With our enduring dedication to serving our communities, we NEED local individuals willing to become a "HERO" for the Red Cross. Those who choose to serve will help ensure that people in our community can be helped NOW and in the FUTURE.

To become a part of this year's team, please contact us at the Chapter at 252-637-3405.

We look forward to working with you on this endeavor.

Sincerely,

Coastal Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross

Vanceboro Farm Life Kindergarten Class Donates $1700 to Haiti Relief!

2010-02-05T16:37:00.002-05:00

Kindergarten Teacher Lisha Farr empowered her students at Vanceboro Farm Life Elementary School to collect money for disaster victims in Haiti.

The kindergarteners’ initial goal was $1200 in “Pennies for Haiti” as they were collecting $1 for each mile that separated Vanceboro from Haiti.

With the help from other students and school staff they exceeded the goal by $500! With over $1700, they were proud to give the check to the Robert Toler, Disaster Coordinator for the Coastal Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross. The donation will be deposited into the International Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund. Channel 12 (WCTI) was on site to film the special moment.

Thank you Vanceboro Farm Life Elementary School for your hard work and for the significant donation!

Your Local Red Cross Chapter is Working Hard Around the Clock

2010-01-20T16:51:00.008-05:00

The volunteers and staff of the Coastal Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross have been working hard around the clock.

Since Christmas we have responded to structure fires ultimately providing aid to eight families (22 clients). The Chapter has distributed $3,175.00 to these clients to pay for food, clothing and hotel bills. All fires were either in Carteret or Craven County.

In addition to the structure fires we sent the Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) to Morehead City with a crew of three to the Port Terminal to assist in hydration and feeding the response team and volunteers working on a very dangerous chemical spill which shut down the Port for two days. They were on site two full days.

Since the horrific disaster struck Haiti, volunteers and staff have dedicated numerous hours to answer telephones and accept donations at the local Chapter.
On Tuesday and Wednesday this week two volunteers took time out of their busy lives to drive to Farmville to pickup 280 blankets, which most will go to Haiti to help the effort.

If you would like to volunteer, please contact us at 252-637-3405. We are also in the process of making preparations to move to our New Location in River Bend during the month of February.

American Red Cross - Helping Haiti Disaster Victims

2010-01-20T16:44:00.005-05:00

With estimates that as many as three million people may be affected by the catastrophic earthquake which hit Haiti Tuesday, the American Red Cross is releasing an additional $9 million for earthquake relief, bringing its total commitment so far to $10 million to support relief efforts in Haiti.

Priority needs in Haiti are food, water, temporary shelter, medical services and emotional support. Thousands of local Red Cross volunteers are aiding their fellow Haitians. American Red Cross Disaster management specialists are scheduled to arrive today from the United States, Peru and Mexico to join local Red Cross staff already on the ground in the disaster zone. As soon as airports begin accepting relief shipments, tarps, hygiene items and cooking sets for approximately 5,000 families will come from the Red Cross warehouse in Panama.

The American Red Cross is also helping the injured who may need blood. More than 100 units of blood and blood products were shipped to the U.S. Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida, and then on to Guantanamo Bay in support of medical evacuees from Haiti.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has a plane full of mostly medical items on the way to Haiti from Geneva. ICRC staff, including engineers, a surgeon and family linking specialists are expected to arrive in Port-au-Prince this morning. Other Red Cross partners have deployed a mobile hospital, medical teams, and 40 staff to help with sheltering, providing water, sanitation, and telecommunications.

ICRC is helping reconnect separated families in Haiti through a special web site which enables people in Haiti and outside the country to search for and register the names of relatives missing since the earthquake. In the first twenty-four hours, more than 6,000 people have been registered.

How to Help
• We are not accepting volunteers to travel to Haiti. If you would like to volunteer for the American Red Cross, please contact the Coastal Carolina Chapter at 252-637-3405.
• For inquiries about relatives living and who have citizenship in Haiti, please be patient and call repeatedly until the lines clear or contact other family members who live nearby. Telephone, Internet and other communication lines are often disrupted in times of disaster.
• People trying to locate U.S. citizens living or traveling in Haiti should contact the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services, at 1-888-407-4747 or (202) 647-5225.

Countless requests have come from people wanting to help. The best way to do that is to make a donation to the American Red Cross International Response Fund at your local Coastal Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross.

In addition, several hundred thousand people have chosen to make a mobile donation. Donors can text "Haiti" to 90999 on their cell phone to send a $10 donation to support Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti. The mobile giving effort raised more than $3 million by Thursday morning, and all money raised goes to support Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti.

The Local Chapter; Coastal Carolina Chapter located at 1916 S. Glenburnie, New Bern will be open Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 8:30 to 5:00 to accept donations for the International Relief Operation. Please make checks payable to American Red Cross with "Haiti Relief" written in the memo section of your check. You may also donate via credit card by calling the local Chapter at 252-637-3405.

Submitted by: The National Offices of the American Red Cross

How to donate to The American Red Cross for Haiti Disaster

2010-01-15T13:39:00.000-05:00

The Coastal Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross will be open all weekend from 08:00am - 5:00pm to accept donations for Haiti Disaster Relief.

You can stop by their office located at 1916 S. Glenburnie Road, Suite 12 (across from Jiffy Lube/Harris Teeter) and donate by cash, check, credit card, or money order or you can pay by credit card over the phone.

Please make checks payable to the American Red Cross and write "Haiti Relief" in the memo section of your check.

You will receive a tax deductible receipt for your donation.

Thank you!

Become a Red Cross Hero

2010-01-04T16:28:00.002-05:00

March is the Heroes Campaign Month for the Coastal Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross and we are in need of motivated people to become Heroes for disaster services, health and safety services, and services to the Armed Forces.

Our Chapter relies on donations to provide these critical services to Carteret, Craven, Jones, and Pamlico Counties. By becoming a Red Cross Hero, you will contribute to our success in meeting our community’s needs of today, tomorrow, and for years to come.

Red Cross Heroes are “Individuals recruited to raise a minimum of $1,000 through any legal means they choose. Usually, the “Heroes” who are recruited have the ability to involve their employer, church, school, or civic club to support their fund raising efforts.”

The following are a few examples of fundraising opportunities for you, your church, business, and/or civic organization to raise money for our local Chapter:

- Retailers/Banks can place a collection container at the counter

- High school students can host a talent or fashion show

- Civic organizations can sponsor a silent auction, banquet fundraiser, and/or fishing tournament

- Sports teams can hold a swim-a-ton, 5k run, or sports tournament

- Restaurants, Gas Stations, and Grocery Stores can sell Red Cross squares

- Bars/Nightclubs can hold special events like a raffle and/or pool tournament

- Churches can hold a bake sale, spaghetti dinner, book sale, and/or rummage sale

- News/Radio Stations can hold a telethon

- Fire Departments can hold a boot drive

- Employees can pass a hat around the office to collect money

- Individuals can ask their families and friends to donate

The opportunities are endless!

For all of your hard work, your picture will be posted on the Chapter’s and New Bern Now’s websites, your name will be included in an announcement in the New Bern Sun Journal, and you’ll receive a “Heroes Certificate of Appreciation”.

If you would like to make a difference in our community, become a Red Cross Hero! Please contact us via email to discuss ways you can contribute to a great cause.

Thank You!

Hatteras Yachts Auction Tomorrow

2009-11-13T13:32:00.002-05:00

It looks like the sun will come out for the Hatteras Yachts Auction tomorrow. I had a preview of the auction items this morning and was very impressed by the vast array of interesting items.

They will be auctioning 600 items to include: home décor (both modern and antique/vintage), home appliances, tools, manufacturing equipment, and marine outfitting items (rolls of material) and other miscellaneous items.

Hatteras Yachts has been kind enough to donate a portion of the auction’s proceeds to the Coastal Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross. Red Cross volunteers will also be onsite selling coffee and donuts in the morning and sandwiches and soda/water in the afternoon.

Browsing and registration will begin at 07:00am and the auction kicks off at 09:00am and will run throughout the day.

Hatteras Yachts is located at 110 N. Glenburnie Rd.

Yard Sale Benefits Three Local Charities

2009-11-12T09:46:00.000-05:00

The Coastal Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross yard sale was a great success this past weekend!

Thanks to all of those (local community members, volunteers, staff, and board members) who donated a large array of items to sell.

With the efforts of the Chapter’s volunteers and staff, the sale profited nearly $2,000 for disaster services!

Excess clothing and household items were donated to the Salvation Army and Interfaith Refugee Ministries.

Thanks to everyone who participated and donated items, it was well worth the effort!

Hatteras Yachts - "Surplus Equipment, Tools, and Inventory Auction"

2009-10-26T15:16:00.006-04:00

Hatteras Yachts is sponsoring a Surplus Equipment, Tools, and Inventory Auction, on November 14th at 09:00am. Hatteras Yachts is located at 110 N. Glenburnie Rd., a portion of the proceeds benefit the Coastal Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Thank You, Red Cross Volunteers and Moore's Olde Tyme Bar-B-Que!

2009-10-13T10:37:00.002-04:00

The Executive Director, Disaster Coordinator, Board Members, and I would like to personally thank the 15 Coastal Carolina Chapter Red Cross volunteers who took time out of their day to plate and deliver Moore’s BBQ on October 9th, to those businesses and residents who ordered this great BBQ! Thank you, Moore’s BBQ for preparing the delicious food for the Red Cross.

As a volunteer and board member for our local Red Cross Chapter, I have to say that we couldn’t have pulled this off without our volunteers and Moore’s BBQ of course! Volunteers make up 97% of our workforce and we really appreciate their efforts.

We would also like to thank the residents and businesses for participating in this first time partnership event. If it wasn’t for your participation, our efforts would be mute.

If you’re interested in becoming a Red Cross volunteer, please contact the Coastal Carolina Chapter at (252) 637-3405.

"Cue, BBQ, that is" Red Cross is Partnering with Moore's Old Tyme Bar-B-Que

2009-09-16T17:52:00.005-04:00

Moore’s Old Tyme Bar-B-Cue and the Coastal Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross are teaming up to offer good old-fashioned barbeque!

Enjoy pulled pork, coleslaw, potato salad, and hush puppies for only $5 per plate!

Place your order today for pick-up (or delivery by ARC volunteers for more than 10 plates!)

Call the Chapter: 252-637-3405 to place your pre-paid order (VISA and MasterCard welcome!).

Pick-up at the Red Cross station behind Moore’s Bar-B-Que from 10:00am – 12:30pm on October 9th. Make sure you place your order by Tuesday, October 6th!!!

All proceeds to benefit Chapter Services: Services to the Armed Forces, Health, Safety, and Disaster programs.

Thank you for supporting your local Chapter of the American Red Cross!

Yard Sale for Red Cross Disaster Services

2009-09-15T09:30:00.003-04:00

The Disaster Volunteers will be holding a yard sale at the Chapter, 1916 S. Glenburnie Rd., New Bern, on November 7th from 8:00am to 1:00pm.

You can make a difference in our Community by donating items to the Coastal Carolina Chapter Of The American Red Cross. We will also be accepting monetary donations. Our target goal is to raise $3,000.00.

Please contact Mr. Robert Toler at 252.637.3405 for more information on how your donations can make a difference in our disaster response and preparedness services.

First Aid, CPR and AED Class on August 26, 2009

2009-08-24T15:34:00.004-04:00

We still have openings for the First Aid, CPR and AED Class scheduled for August 26, 2009. The class will be held from 08:30am - 4:00pm at the Coastal Carolina Chapter in New Bern. Cost of the class is $60. For more information, please contact us at 252-637-3405.

Disaster Drill in Pamlico County

2009-08-14T20:02:00.015-04:00

Grantsboro — On July 18, 2009 a trailer carrying a lethal chemical was struck by a car and released a chemical that caused the death of two individuals and sent others to the hospital. First responders from the county were dispatched to the scene but had to wait for personnel trained and equipped to handle hazardous materials. In the meantime they used a water spray to keep the chemical contained.

The American Red Cross (ARC) was there with their Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) providing hydration and food for the responders.

The above is a summary news article that might have appeared in a newspaper but also summarizes the events of the day.

Thanks to the volunteer base interested in feeding the ARC turn out was greater in comparison to the first responders. This was a remark relayed to me from Stanley Kite the Craven County Fire Marshal. Those that showed up received new vests (thanks to the Bate foundation.) We all had our “good guys” white hats on.

I had been led to believe that the event might be at or near the intersection of Rt. 55 and 306. That is the location of the only traffic light in Pamlico Community County. A little trivia for those who didn’t know. A conversation with a county commissioner the night before reinforced that belief. We had been told to be at the community college which would have been a logical “safe” area for rest and refreshment. I had actually visited the college the day before and there was nothing but empty parking lots. Just like going on a DR; we figured things would work out the next day but not without further modification.

The ARC set up a safe distance away from the scene. Tables, chairs, and a canopy were stationed to provide a rest area for the workers. It’s hard keeping up with what’s going on because the focus is on the important stuff of the incident.

Our first instructions were to pull up next to the curb and vapor fans. We should have taken a clue from the fans. They were not filled with water and they were not plugged in nor were there provisions to plug them in. Not noticing that, we set all our stuff up and planned to serve meals and refreshments from the ERV. It was hard figuring out what was going on but it soon became evident that this was an exercise and each element was taking its turn. So, we just kicked back and watched and waited. When was it going to be our turn? It wasn’t that hot and the liquids were going slow.

I had taken the Cambros to the Piggly Wiggly the day before and arranged for them to be picked up at 11:30 on Saturday. The food would still be at temperature at 1:00 when the meals were planned to be served but now it looked like things would wrap up before 1:00.

PLANS CHANGE, THE AMERICAN RED CROSS ADAPTS

If there is one thing we are good at it’s change. So, we felt as useful as the dummy fan misters we were next to. Food that was going to be served from the ERV at the sidewalk at 1pm was changed to a service building behind the college at 12:15am. We can do that. Kevin and Jennifer went after the food at 11:30 when the Piggly Wiggly said it would be ready and got it back just before 12am.

The Cambros never cease to amaze me. They keep food so hot for such a long period of time. We have come back from multi-hour runs and still find the food hot when we clean up. One thing was different here. An ARC kitchen did not prepare the food and therefore Cambro liners were not available. There may have been some in the ERV but they were there since last summer and I could not verify that they were sanitary. The staff at Piggly Wiggly just put the food in the Cambros after cleaning them. This is not usually done because the surface of the Cambro can be scratched with utensils and catch food particles that could lead to contamination.

With food in the ERV we moved to the new location behind the college. Our original plan was to plate the food into clamshells and pass them out through the ERV window to the First Responders. Assessing the situation I decided that we would serve the food cafeteria style inside the building. Tables and chairs had been set up and it seemed that it would be a better environment for all. Everything could be laid out on a couple of table tables and we could use more servers than we could in the ERV. Servers had personal interaction with the First Responders. This is similar to what is done when providing food to shelters. Most of the time food is plated in the ERV and passed out the window either to clients or shelter staff. On occasion, food containers are carried inside the shelter and served in there.

Authors: Tom and Ruth Ann McIvor, Dedicated Red Cross Disaster Volunteers

Attention Businesses and Civic Organizations in Carteret, Craven, Jones and Pamlico Counties

2009-08-13T16:48:00.006-04:00

The Coastal Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross needs your help. We depend on donations from our local community to provide humanitarian services to our four county jurisdictions. The current economic situation has had a negative impact on our donations, in turn, this may have a direct effect on the services we provide to the community. Services include: Health, Safety, and Disaster Response and Services to the Armed Forces.

Your business or civic organization can make a positive impact in your community by holding a fundraising event for the Coastal Carolina Chapter.

Some fundraising ideas include:

- Hold a sports tournament (golf, tennis, baseball, basketball, etc. tournament) and encourage your clients and staff to participate.
- Sponsor a breakfast, lunch, or dinner for your clients and local residents.
- Include a line on your email signature that you support the Coastal Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross and provide a hyperlink to www.ccc-arc.org.
- Add our logo and a hyperlink from your website to ours.
- Place a secure donation container with a small opening on the receptionist’s desk or business countertop.
- Hold a garage sale by asking your community to donate items for the garage sale with proceeds going to the local Chapter of the Red Cross.
- Conduct a silent auction for the local Chapter of the Red Cross.

For more information about partnering with the Coastal Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross, please contact us at 252-637-3405 or email donation@ccc-arc.org . Thank you in advance for your participation.

Chapter Disaster Readiness Exercise & Evaluation

2009-08-12T09:23:00.003-04:00

August 25th at St. Andrews Church there is Disaster Readiness Exercise & Evaluation (CDREE). The class is from 8:03 until about 4 PM.

Thank You Gray Ladies and Lads of the American Red Cross

2009-08-11T15:48:00.001-04:00

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting the Thursday morning shift of the Gray Ladies and Lads of the American Red Cross at CarolinaEast Medical Center (previously known as Craven Regional Medical Center). The Gray Ladies have been caring for patients in Craven County since 1951. The Gray Lads joined the Ladies about ten years ago, together, they provide many important services to patients at the CarolinaEast Medical Center. They are the only civilian hospital based Gray Ladies and Lads group left in the state of North Carolina.

They transport patients; assist with patient admissions and discharges; run errands for the hospital staff; deliver newspapers, flowers, and mail to patients; help operate the information desk during staff shortages; and they even decorate the Medical Center during the holidays.

During my short visit, the phone rang many times and each time, a volunteer stood up to answer the requested service. They took turns for each request without any questions. One returned to the office, another left, the spirit of teamwork emulated throughout this small group. This was a true sign of camaraderie and a very healthy working environment.

If you’ve ever been a patient or visited the Medical Center, you may have been fortunate enough to receive the hospitality of these special volunteers donned in their blue smocks. They are a proud group of folks who really enjoy their work. When asked why they volunteer, responses varied from satisfaction in interacting with patients, visitors, and staff; the feeling of working together as a family; having fun; getting exercise; and a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. These are only a few things that motivate these hardworking volunteers.

These highly dedicated and motivated volunteers commit to working four hour shifts per week and 100 hours a year. Many of them work an average of 300 hours per year or more. There are also volunteers who fill in as substitutes to cover someone’s shift.

People may assume since the name of this exclusive group is “Gray Ladies and Lads” you must have gray hair to volunteer. That’s simply not true, those who are 18 years or older are welcome to join! Requirements to become a volunteer are attending an eight hour orientation and shadowing a Gray Lady or Lad for 20 hours. For more information about the Gray Ladies and Lads or to become a volunteer, please contact Ms. Jeanne Balaoing at 252-633-8127.

Thank you Gray Ladies and Lads of the American Red Cross for your hard work, dedication, and services you provide to our community, you really make a difference! Your precious time and effort is truly a measure of your character and kindness!