November 2013

The Volunteer Voice

October Volunteer of the Month:

Estelita Felten

IN and OUT Fundraiser Success

On Oct 21st the fundraiser was held

in front of the Red Cross office.

The timing couldn’t have been

more perfect as the DFAC had been

shut down for maintenance. We

made $308 and sold out of brat

lunches by 12:15pm. A special

thank you to those who donated

baked goods, cooked, and served.

Howl-O-Ween

On 30 October, the Red Cross Vicenza

Station hosted its first Howl-O-Ween.

Next to the Villaggio Teen Center, 26

costumed dogs and their owners came out

for a few hours of dog-gone fun. There

were pet costume contests, raffles,

opportunities to sign up for the Red Cross

Pet First Aid course, and information on

how to make a disaster kit for your pet!

Thanks to Christina Davis, our Special

Events Chair and our wonderful volunteers

for making the event a success. A special

thanks to the USO and DPW for helping

make the event possible.

Running of the Herd

at Del Din on November 7th

Anytime from 10AM-10PM for handing out band aids

and other first aid supplies

Register on volunteerconnection.redcross.org

Red Cross Volunteers: We Need You!

Lunch Fundraiser

At Del Din on 21 November (Tentative)

To cook and serve food!

November 2013

Help Prevent Home Fires This

Thanksgiving

Stay in the kitchen while you are cooking.

Unattended cooking is the leading cause of

Thanksgiving Day home fires, according to the

National Fire Protection Association.

To prevent cooking fires, you must be alert. You won’t

be alert if you are sleepy, have taken medicine or

drugs, or consumed alcohol that makes you drowsy.

Keep anything that can catch fire, potholders, wooden

utensils, food wrappers, towels or curtains, away from

your stove top.

Make sure your sleeves are out of the way when

cooking.

Wear tighter fitting clothing with shorter sleeves. Stay

in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling

food.

If you leave the kitchen even for a short period of

time, turn off the stove.

If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling

food, check it regularly, remain in the home while

food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that

you’re cooking.

Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet around the

stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or

carried.

Never hold a child while cooking, drinking or carrying

hot foods or liquids.

Keep pets off cooking surfaces and nearby countertops

to prevent them from knocking things onto the burner.

Turn the handles of pots and pans on the stove inward

to avoid accidents.

Follow all manufacturer guidelines regarding the

appropriate use of appliances.

After guests leave, walk around the home, making sure

that all candles and smoking materials are

extinguished.

Don't Let the Flu Ruin Your Holiday

If you are travelling and feel sick, seriously

consider staying home. If you have the flu,

there is a good chance you can spread it to

others and you will feel miserable doing so.

Wash your hands with soap and water (or

60% alcohol hand sanitizer) frequently when

travelling, as there will be people all around

you who do not follow our first tip.

At family gatherings, try and cut down on the

handshaking and the PDAs. Now is a good

time for your family and friends to learn the

art of bowing.

Bring lots of tissues - for your own coughs

and sneezes and to offer to others for theirs.

The guidebooks all say to sneeze into the

inside of your elbow or arm if you don't have

a tissue.

Cooking-Related Burns

Even with the best preparation and precautions, accidents can happen. Thanksgiving is high time

for cooking related burns. Minor burns can be

treated easily if you remember to save the butter

for the rolls and not a burn. For a superficial

burn, cool the area by running it under cold

water until the heat eases and then loosely cover

the burn with a sterile dressing.

Have a Safe and

Happy Thanksgiving

Don’t Choke on the Turkey

A danger that can interrupt a good turkey dinner is choking. The most common

cause of choking is talking while eating. If you feel as if food may be caught in your

throat, never leave the room, stay where others can see you and help if your airway

becomes blocked. To help someone who is choking, remember "FIVE-and-FIVE

Can Keep Them Alive." First, ask the person if they are able to breathe and if you

can help. Once you know the person is unable to cough, speak or breathe, have

someone call your local emergency number, lean the person forward and give FIVE

sharp back blows with the heel of your hand. If the obstruction isn't dislodged, give

the person FIVE quick, upward abdominal thrusts. If you are alone, you can perform

abdominal thrusts on yourself just as you would on someone else. Thrusts can also

be administered by pressing your abdomen firmly against an object such as the back

of a chair.

November 2013

Safety Tip of the Month:

2 – CPR/FA/AED class

2 – Cancer Walk (Red Cross

Club)

7 – Volunteer Orientation

7 – Running of the Herd

9 – Pet First Aid

Bicycle Rodeo

The American Red Cross teamed up with the

USO and the PMO bicycle squad to put on a

Bicycle Rodeo in which kids of all ages were

taught basic and emergency biking skills. Not

only were kids prepped on how to deal with

different obstacles they might face while biking,

they also had their bikes inspected for safety and

helmets checked for proper fit. The course,

consisted of eight stations laid out in front of the

Vicenza Middle School. Each station had a

Volunteer which helped the child through that

portion of the course and reviewed the child’s

skill. A special thanks goes out to the USO,

PMO bike patrol, Caserma Ederle EMS, ODR,

AAFES Exchange, CYS, and the Vicenza

Middle School for their support.

Questions, Comments,

Concerns?

American Red Cross

Building 333

Caserma Ederle

Vicenza, Italy

Phone: 0444-71-7089

Vicenza@redcross.org

www.facebook.com/ARCVicenza

RED CROSS CLUB

The VHS Red Cross Club has kept

busy during the month of October.

They held their first fundraiser

selling breakfast at the High School

after all the members completed the

Food Handler's Course turning a

profit of $65. Three Club members,

Martin Rosenfeld, Helois Leosk, and

Canaan York, helped at the Red

Cross table at the USO's

Spooktacular, handing out candy and

information on the Red Cross. Red

Cross Club member, Austin Walker,

and Red Cross Club Co-Chair, Vicki

Lucio, became certified CPR/First

Aid/AED instructors. Four Club

members assisted with the Red Cross

Howl-O-Ween on 30 October.

16 – Babysitting Course

19-20 – VHC New Employee

Orientation

28 - Thanksgiving

30 – November volunteer hours

due

Don’t Forget to Submit your Volunteer

Hours!

Volunteer Connection is the place to record volunteer your hours. Instead of logging them on paper, just sign into volunteer connection, go to “My Profile,” select “Shifts/Hours” and log them there. We will review them every week and approve them so that they will show in your record. Log in at https://volunteerconnection.redcross.org.

November Calendar