What’s your #perfectgift this holiday season?

Earlier this week, Craig Newmark (of craigslist and craigconnects fame) celebrated his birthday with a somewhat different approach to gifting – he kicked off a conversation on Twitter on what the perfect gift would be, promising to donate $1 per response to the Red Cross, up to $10,000.

Results from our recent Holiday Giving poll have suggested that most Americans (68% of those surveyed) believe that because of the economy, it’s important to give something to charity. What a telling statistic. With so much variety out there in terms of what people are passionate about and what cause they would like to contribute to if they could, imagine how many lives could be changed. We’re excited to read your tweets in response, and have been inspired by the replies thus far!

And if your perfect gift is giving comfort, help, or hope to someone in need, you can check out our Holiday Giving Catalog for a bunch of options through the Red Cross.

Thanks, Craig, for committing to helping us help others- we’re humbled by your support and looking forward to being a part of the conversation!

Weigh in on Twitter - what is your idea of a #perfectgift?

 

Adapted from the American Red Cross blog, posted by Gloria Huang

Nothing says ‘Holiday Season’ like claymation

Meet Fred. He’s cute, charitable and…made of clay.

That’s right folks, we’re bringing you a claymation video today. It’s an art form that hasn’t been used as much in recent years, but typically makes a comeback during the Holiday Season as  people across the country pull out their favorite holiday films. (Think of the classics like Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Little Drummer Boy, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, The Year Without Santa Claus, and the more recent The Nightmare Before Christmas.)

Our claymation film also tells a story about the holiday season, specifically, our  2011 American Red Cross Holiday Giving Catalog.  Click play to find out more!

So long, farewell, Hurricane Season!

Saying ‘Goodbye’ can sometimes be sad and heartbreaking, but when it comes to the end of Hurricane Season (June 1 – November 30) we definitely can’t say that we’re sorry to see it go. In fact, we’d like to wish it a good riddance and ask that it never return…but we know that won’t happen, which is why we remain ready for disasters year-round (and want you to remain prepared as well). After all, hurricanes can still occur in the off-season and as we approach colder weather many states face the challenges of winter storms.

Although we were fortunate to not be hit here in Florida this year, our friends to to north weren’t as lucky when Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee came barreling towards the East Coast. But in true Red Cross neighbor-helping-neighbor fashion, almost 100 local volunteers from our Palm Beaches-Treasure Coast Region left the comfort of their homes to go help those in need during the aftermath of the storms.

And truly, that is what we are all about here at the Red Cross: responding to where the need is greatest, whether it’s down the street or across the country or around the world. If you’d like to see highlights of the 2011 hurricane season, tune in to a video on the NOAA website.

Cyber Monday: Give Something That Means Something

Around here we like to keep up to date on our fellow Red Cross chapters and regions across the county, and today we came across a post on the Nebraska/SW Iowa Region Blog that we wanted to pass along to you.

By: Dan Mackevicius, Communications Intern for the Nebraska/SW Iowa Region

So you fought the crowds at Black Friday.  You made it out of the store loaded with gifts for friends and family: a video game and a Nerf gun for Jimmy, a new doll house and Polly Pocket for Jenny, a fluffy scarf and new purse for Mom, a drill and tie for Dad, and a Chia Pet for Aunt Sue under the auspice of a “gag gift”.  Heck, maybe you got yourself a Snuggie just to see what all the hype was about.  Now you have all that stuff to wrap, all that stuff to lug around, all that stuff to hide.  All that stuff.  Now that you’re at work, Cyber Monday is staring you in the face.

Every day we are surrounded by messages to “buy this” and “buy that”.  This is especially true around the holidays, at one time a moment set aside to be around family and friends, which have since been turned into a materialistic free-for-all where giving is expected and expected to be reciprocated.  Doesn’t this cheapen the act of giving?  How can we turn this around?

The American Red Cross may have a solution for you.  Instead of giving something to someone, give something for someone.  If you visit www.redcross.org/gifts you will find gifts that you can donate in the name of someone on your list that will go towards helping someone else somewhere.  You can purchase phone cards for military members to let them call home during the holidays.  There are many different care packages for disaster victims both at home and abroad.  You can even save kids’ lives by covering the cost of their vaccinations.  And there is so much more you can do.

This Cyber Monday, point your browser towards our website. The Red Cross makes donating very easy for you.  Everything that we offer is spelled out simply and clearly on the website. We will even send you a greeting card so you can send the people you donated for a heads up of your gift.  On top of that, the Red Cross will also send you free gifts for donating (like you need more stuff, right?).  And here’s the best part: you’re doing something that matters. You’re helping someone that needs it.  You can give something that means something.  And doesn’t that feel good?

Stuff your Thanksgiving with safety

If we were to play a word association game, we would make a strong wager that the word “Thanksgiving” would immediately conjurer up thoughts of “food”, “feast”, “turkey”, “dinner”, “meal”. Of all holiday celebrations, Thanksgiving is most definitely the one that revolves around food the most (although we’d have to rank Halloween sweets and 4th of July burgers as close runner-ups).

But alongside all the food stuffed into the Thanksgiving Day (pardon our pun!), it also means a lot of cooking and baking. Which also means an increased chance for accidents and fires to happen — after all, cooking is the #1 cause of home fires in America. And although our Red Cross volunteers will be ready to respond, holiday-or-not, we’d prefer that everyone stays safe this season. So we compiled a list of safety tips to keep in mind while your roasting the turkey and mashing the potatoes. (Then be sure to take our Thanksgiving quiz to test your safety knowledge!)

• Start by not wearing loose clothing or dangling sleeves while cooking. Never leave cooking food unattended – stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling or broiling food. If you must leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove
• Check your food regularly while cooking and remain in the home while cooking. Use a timer to remind yourself that the stove or oven is on.
• Keep the kids away from the cooking area. Enforce a “kid-free zone” and make them stay at least three feet away from the stove.
• Keep anything that can catch fire – pot holders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, and towels or curtains—away from your stove, oven or any other appliance in the kitchen that generates heat.
• Clean cooking surfaces on a regular basis to prevent grease buildup.
• Consider purchasing a fire extinguisher to keep in your kitchen. Contact your local fire department to take training on the proper use of extinguishers.
• Always check the kitchen before going to bed or leaving the home to make sure all stoves, ovens, and small appliances are turned off.
• Install a smoke alarm near your kitchen, on each level of your home, near sleeping areas, and inside and outside bedrooms if you sleep with doors closed. Use the test button to check it each month. Replace all batteries at least once a year.

Wishing all a Happy Thanksgiving!

The holiday gifts your friends want to give (and get)

You know how we can’t resist posting cool infographics we come across, and the one below is no exception. As a charitable organization – and not a government agency — the Red Cross depends on the time, treasure and talent of our volunteers and the American public to perform our mission. So when we saw this infographic we were happy to see the generous spirit alive and well this holiday season, even during these  tough economic times.

What do you think? Do you agree with the survey results? We’d love to hear your thoughts  either in our comment section or by weighing in on this quick  poll:

 You can find out more about this holiday survey on the Red Cross site, or check out our online Holiday Giving Catalog to browse through some charitable gifts you can give this holiday season.

One holiday shopping deal you don’t want to miss

With just a little more than a week to go before one of the most anticipated shopping days of the year (or most dreaded days, depending on your gift-buying style), we wanted to let you know of one Black Friday deal you can’t find in any store:  Double Your Donation.

You heard us right – DOUBLE your donation, a.k.a. the coupon-clipper/BOGO/savvy shopping steal of the year. By using the new widget (see the image to the right) to make a donation to the American Red Cross, you will actually be supporting us twice as much because Serve from American Express will match your gift!

The cool new widget is in conjunction with the 2011 American Red Cross Holiday Giving Catalog, a campaign which allows everyone to give meaningful gifts this holiday season. Rather than just buying your friends and family more stuff, why not give the gift of charity instead? The Holiday Catalog is filled with tons of symbolic gifts that you can purchase in the name of a loved one — like food and shelter for a disaster victim in your community, phone cards and supplies for  members of the military serving far away from home, or measles vaccinations for children around the world.

So whether you choose to double you gift (after all, the best kind of donation is a matched donation!) or browse through our catalog you can know that you are giving something that means something this holiday season.

 

Beep. Beep. Beep. “This is only a test”

If you happen to be listening to, or watching, media outlets at 2 p.m. today, don’t be surprised if an Emergency Alert Message starts to play.  And if you switch the channel and see a similar message on every other station, don’t be alarmed. That’s because today – Wednesday, November 9 at 2:00 p.m. EST — the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are conducting the first-ever nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS).

You’ve probably seen/heard an Emergency Alert message on a station before, but today marks the first time the same message will be playing at the same time, in every outlet (such as broadcast radio, television stations, cable television systems, satellite radio and television systems, and wireline video service systems).

Given our strong affinity for disaster preparedness here around the Red Cross, we are always a fan of tools and ideas like these that help people stay informed. (Which after all, is Step 3 of our Get a Kit. Make a Plan. Be Informed.  Disaster Preparedness plan.) You can check out the EAS Website to learn more information about today’s Nationwide Emergency Alert test and be sure to share the news with your friends that, “This is only a test.”

Our kind of party — Holiday Mail for Heroes Card Signing Party

Halloween was just a few days ago, but now that the calendar has flipped to November, around here we’re looking forward to the next holiday coming up: Veterans Day. At the Red Cross, our connection to the men and women who have served in the military (and are still serving) run as deep as our organization Our Service to the Armed Forces program remains at the core of the services we provide, and we always enjoy the opportunity to take time out to thank all of those who have given so much for our country.

This Veteran’s Day we’ll have a few different events all around our region to honor our Armed Forces, such a participation in parades and a card signing party for our Holiday Mail For Heroes program. We’ll be telling people more about theses event during the next week. In the meantime, we wanted to share with you this short video of another card signing event that occurred in Washington, D.C. If you look closely I’m sure you’ll see some faces and names you recognize — that’s right, it is members of congress!

Happy Haunting – 13 Tips for a Safe Halloween

With Halloween lurking around the corner, children and families across America are donning  their costumes and gearing up for a night of tricks-or-treats. But as the ghouls, goblins, vampires and villains take to the streets to hunt down candy, we want to remind everyone of the greatest hazards on Halloween with these basic safety tips.

You can download our handy Halloween Safety Guide by clicking the image below, or keep reading to find out the Lucky 13 Tips for having a safe and fun Halloween:

1. Map out the route that you plan to roam, so adults are assured you will find your way home!’
2. From the bravest of superheroes to the noblest of knights, everyone should remember to bring their flashlights!
3. If you visit a house where a stranger resides, accept treats at the door and, please, don’t go inside.
4. When you get ready to put on your disguise, use face paint instead of masks, which will cover your eyes.
5. Always remember, before you embark, to wear light-colored clothing to be seen in the dark! (And also remember to use reflective tape , even on bikes and brooms and the edges of your cape!)
6. Whether you walk , slither or sneak, do it on the sidewalks and not on the street.
7. As you roam through the neighborhood collecting your treats, please look both ways before crossing the streets. (And speaking of streets, the corners are the place for trick-or-treaters to cross no matter their pace.
8. Wigs, capes and costumes are flammable attire, so avoid open flames to prevent a fire!
9. Use a glow stick instead of a candle, so your jack-o-lantern isn’t a safety gamble!
10. You may fly on a broom or a space ship from Mars, but please be on the lookout for drivers in cars. (Between parked cars is no place to hide, be sure that you’re seen whether you’re a clown or a bride).
11. Monsters and zombies should stay off the lawn, and only visit homes with their porch lights turned on!
12. You may be dressed as a werewolf, a cat or a frog, but be cautious around strange animals, especially dogs.
13. Have a grown-up inspect your candy when you’re done trick-or-treating to remove open packages and choking hazards before eating.

Wishing you all a Happy Halloween!