Seniors have plenty of options to aid those in need

March is Red Cross month – so proclaimed by President Joe Biden and by every president before him, going back to Franklin Roosevelt in 1943.

Consider this column an invitation to seniors to partner with the Red Cross in its mission of aiding those in need.

Here are four ways you can support the American Red Cross:

• Volunteer with the Red Cross: 90% of Red Cross workers are volunteers.

• Donate blood to the Red Cross. Every two seconds someone in America needs blood and 40% of all the blood used in the U.S. is collected by the Red Cross.

• Take a Red Cross class. They are widely available, face-to-face or virtual, teaching skills as diverse as first aid, water safety, pet care and babysitting.

• Learn the lessons in disaster preparedness the Red Cross has to teach.

Volunteer opportunities

When you talk about volunteering for the Red Cross, the image that likely comes to mind is disaster workers helping at the scene of a fire or storm. As I write this, thousands of Red Cross responders from around the world are converging on the Turkey-Syria earthquake zone. In the U.S. alone, the Red Cross responds to nearly 70,000 incidents a year, from home fires to hurricanes and then some.

Obviously not every senior is fit enough for disaster response, although plenty of Red Cross responders are in their 60s and 70s. I was doing disaster response in New York City in my early 80s and was able to meet whatever physical demands the job put on me. The Red Cross is obsessive about keeping responders safe while on the job. And there are plenty of ways you can serve the Red Cross without ever traveling to a disaster zone. some areas local firefighters do the actual installation, leaving volunteers to do the fire safety training. it is needed. All you need to volunteer in this capacity is free time and a driver’s license.

Take a class

Every Red Cross function has roles that can be played even by the elderly or those with disabilities. Katie Prettyman, who supervises volunteer recruitment in the Red Cross northwest region (Washington and north Idaho), says that “33% of our workforce is seniors 65 and older.”

Guest Column

Sound the Alarm events in the Northwest region will take place April 15 to May 12. The drive will focus on Yakima, but you can join in by volunteering to install alarms in your area, or asking to have an alarm installed in your home. For more information, go to: redcross. org/nwhomefire.

Blood donations

One major Red Cross function is Service to the Armed Forces (SAF), which supports members of the military, veterans and their families. Its best known function is the Hero Care Network, which helps bring military families together in times of crisis. Say, for instance, there is a death in a family with a son or daughter on overseas military duty. SAF caseworkers will arrange compassionate leave and help with transportation home for the service member.

Beyond that, SAF offers resiliency training to help service members and their families cope with the stresses of military life. Hundreds of Red Cross SAF volunteers help out at such medical facilities as Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma.

The Red Cross Home Fire campaign relies almost entirely on volunteers. It launched in 2014 to reduce home fire deaths by installing smoke alarms in dwellings that don’t have them. The sharp edge of the campaign is Sound the Alarm, an annual push to track down homes in need of alarms. Once such homes are located, teams of Red Cross volunteers install the alarms and hand out home fire safety material. In

There is a constant need for individuals to donate blood at Red Cross drives, or to assist the collection teams at such drives. These drives are held at various locations around the region. Make an appointment by phone or online, get a quick medical screening, give blood, rest for an hour or so and go on your way. Learn more at redcrossblood.org.

You must be at least 17 to donate blood (16 with parental approval). But no one is too old to give blood.

“There is no upper age for donating blood,” said Heath PalenMcBee, regional manager for Red Cross blood donor recruitment. In fact, a story appeared in this newspaper about a 95-year-old Washington resident who was still regularly donating blood.

If you can’t donate blood for health reasons, you can volunteer as a blood ambassador – greeting donors and walking them through the donation process. There is always a need for volunteers to deliver blood from Red Cross collection points to the hospitals where

The list of Red Cross classes is extensive. To see which courses are available, go to: redcross.org/take-aclass.

You might start with the “big three” of Red Cross classes: first aid, CPR and AED (automated external defibrillation).

Once you have completed these, you should be able to handle most medical emergencies you are likely to encounter.

“Emergencies happen every day,” said Michelle Roth, executive director of the Red Cross chapter headquartered in Kennewick. “Red Cross training can prepare you to act confidently during these events and save lives.”

Beyond the basic first aid course are more specialized classes, like learning how to handle heavy bleeding. Another focuses on coping with severe allergic reactions.

Roth makes a strong case for seniors bulking up on as many classes as they can.

“The number of grandparents raising grandkids is growing,” she said. There are plenty of possibilities beyond first aid and CPR. If you have teen grandchildren, you can treat them to the Red Cross course in babysitting, recommended for kids 11 and older.

Water safety training can be a life- uRED CROSS MONTH, Page 10

Calendar Of Events

MARCH 4

• “The Great Gatsby”: 3 p.m., 213 Wellsian Way, Richland. Tickets at academyofchildrenstheatre.org.

MARCH 5

• “The Great Gatsby”: 3 p.m., 213 Wellsian Way, Richland. Tickets at academyofchildrenstheatre.org.

MARCH 7

• Rascal Rodeo’s 9th annual Honky Tonk Hoedown: 5:3011:30 p.m., Benton County Fairgrounds, 1500 S. Oak St., Building 2, Kennewick. Tickets at rascalrodeo.org.

MARCH 9

• Quilting in the Library: 10 a.m.4 p.m., Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate, Richland. Join members of Project Linus to work on quilts for children in crisis or use the space to spread out and work on your own quilting project. Come all day or just for a while. Bring water and a snack.

MARCH 10-11

• Vintage at the Ridge: Saturday, March 10, noon-6 p.m.; Sunday March 11, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Numerica Pavilion at the Southridge Sports and Events Complex, 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick. Antiques, holiday and home decor, gourmet foods, unique gifts, vintage and re-purposed treasures. Cost is $5 per person at the door (good both days), kids 12 and under are free.

MARCH 11

• Mid-Columbia Arts Fundraisers Gala - Paris City of Lights: 6 p.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Details and tickets available at mcaf-tc.org.

MARCH 13

• Medicare Advantage Plan Discussion with Specialist Lynda Sanders: 1 p.m., Richland Community Center, 500 Amon Park Dr., Richland. FOr more information call 509-344-1360.

MARCH 14

• Alzheimer’s program: Living with Alzheimer Younger On-set: 1-2:30 p.m., virtual event. Call 509943-8455 or register online at kadlec. org/KNRC.

MARCH 17

• Richland Senior Association dance: 1 p.m., Riverview Room, Richland Community Center, 500 Amon Park Drive, Richland. Cost: $10. Dance to a five-piece band led by Clark Hodge.

Bring your grandchildren and families to events with a star.

MARCH 18

• Mid-Columbia Symphony Concert “Fairy Tales and Superheroes”: 7:30 p.m., Richland High School Auditorium, 930 Long Ave., Richland. Tickets: midcolumbiasymphony.org.

MARCH 19

• Mid-Columbia Symphony

Concert “Fairy Tales and Superheroes”: 3 p.m., Richland High School Auditorium, 930 Long Ave., Richland. This matinee will be an hour-long, family-friendly concert with no intermission. Tickets: midcolumbiasymphony.org.

MARCH 22

• Healthy Ages March 2023 Wellness Program - Life Center Northwest: 1-2 p.m., Central United Protestant Church, 1124 Stevens Drive, Richland. Learn more about organ and tissue donation.

MARCH 23

• Senior Prom: 4-6:30 p.m. at the Uptown Theater, 1300 Jadwin Ave., Richland. “Great Gatsby” themed event, presented by Active4Life, features live music, dancing, dinner prepared by La Bella Vita, with dessert provided by Hawthorne Court, games with prizes. Admission is $10 per person. Register by phone at 800-595-

4070 and be sure to leave your contact information. Online registration: bit.ly/A4L-SeniorProm.

MARCH 24-25

• Tri-City Quilter’s Guild Quilt Show and Merchant Mall: 10 a.m.6 p.m. Friday, March 24; 10 a.m.5 p.m. Saturday, March 25, Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Cost is $10 and is good for both days.

MARCH 25

• Camerata Musica ConcertVieness Piano Duo: 7:30 p.m., Columbia Basin College, Performing Arts Theatre, 2600 N. 20th Ave., Suite P-100, Pasco. Free admission.

APRIL 1

• Annual Three Rivers Pet Expo: 10 a.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Free admission.

• City of Richland Color Walk and Egg Hunt: Columbia Point Marina Park, Riverfront Trail, Richland, 9 a.m., color walk; 9:3011 a.m., egg hunt. Register at richlandparksandrec.com. Cost is $5 per person, children under age 3 are free.

• 12th Annual Easter Festival: noon-5 p.m., 3 Chicks Gift Shop & Boutique, 21 S. Cascade St., Kennewick. Details at frcwa.org.