We’ll miss you, Steve Jobs

The topic of today’s elevator conversation is certainly, in most offices, the passing of Steve Jobs. We’re likely to see an article from every major news organization on the man’s life and vision, on his passion to change the world. There’s no denying his importance. In the late 1970s, when the energetic entrepreneur was first getting started, only a select few people understood the capacity of computers to change everything about our daily lives.

In his life of work, Jobs worked relentlessly to bridge the gap between human and machine—to make machines make our lives not just easier, but more interactive and more accessible. Thanks to one of his many infamous creations, the iPhone, we can look up restaurants or directions from just about anywhere. We can skype friends and family across the globe, far from a computer. We can get instant, up-to-date facts to resolve any bar dispute—from how many coins you can have and still not change a dollar, to who had the lowest E.R.A. in 1988, or the status of your neighbor’s relationship with that guy from the gym.

Of course, there are plenty of legitimately helpful uses for the iPhone as well. Let’s say, for example, disaster strikes. Who knows in what form—a flood, an earthquake, a tornado. You might lose your home, and need desperately to find a shelter. Well, there’s an app for that, too.

Or, if for some reason you don’t like the iPhone (we’re “don’t ask, don’t tell” on smart phone preference), there are some great apps for Android phones as well. Get an emergency first-aid & treatment guide to manage almost any medical emergency—useful to medical professionals from anywhere, even offline—or let Dr. Oz guide you through an emergency situation.

None of this would have been possible without Steve Jobs’ unique vision for changing the world. His work in developing the personal computer from a pipe dream to a device we carry in our pocket has allowed medical and emergency workers to perform their jobs quicker and more effectively. Computer systems now allow health care professionals to communicate patient information electronically, and every day we see new developments, things that will become essential to treatment and to emergency care. Jobs may have passed away, but his robust vision of change will not soon fade. Just see our blog post from two weeks ago: technology has become an integral part of health and emergency care, an integral part of nearly every facet of our lives, and we have few people to thank more than Steve Jobs.

Written by: Jonathan Bressler

Building Hope in Haiti

In the midst of great tragedy and suffering caused by the 7.0 earthquake last year, which killed an estimated 230,000 men, women and children in Haiti, it seems impossible that one year later progress has been made. The American Red Cross employees, volunteers and generous donors are meeting the needs of communities and lifting spirits of the Haitian people. Gail McGovern, American Red Cross CEO, has traveled to Haiti many times since the devastating earthquake. On her most recent visit to Port-au-Prince, she describes seeing “people who are hopeful, optimistic and resilient.”

Typically, the Red Cross focuses solely on providing immediate relief when disasters like the earthquake in Haiti occur. Immediate relief comes in the form of Disaster Services workers distributing food, clothing, medication and supplies to victims and coordinating shelter for people affected by the tragedy. In this circumstance, the Red Cross has established a long term relationship with communities and organizations in Haiti for the benefit of the people.

The American Red Cross has worked in Haiti since 2004 responding to disasters ranging from major hurricanes to small floods, and following the earthquake worked to build on the foundation of programs that existed. In the past year, an incredible amount of work has been done to improve the disaster management strategies in place and the health of Haitians.

The Red Cross mission statement discusses the importance of relieving the suffering of individuals, focuses on guiding response actions by the needs of the people and specifies giving priority to the most urgent cases of distress. Gail McGovern saw firsthand the plethora of opportunities for the American Red Cross to truly embody the mission statement of the national organization. She insists that “building permanent communities will be harder, and it will take longer. It will involve not just the homes themselves, but a whole series of interconnected services, from water and sanitation to roads. We’re talking about a massive urban renewal program that’s going to take years to complete.” The process will be lengthy, but focusing on five key facets of rebuilding will empower the people of Haiti (emergency & long term housing, health, water & sanitation, disaster preparation, disaster risk reduction & livelihood).

Many Haitians found themselves either displaced or hosting displaced relatives or friends, which put enormous stress on already scarce resources. To maximize the impact of donations, the American Red Cross partnered with Fonkoze, Haiti’s largest microfinance institute, to expand their existing programs to support over 220,000 people mostly women heads of households like Odette Mednard. She is a dressmaker and the owner of a small food shop attached to her home. Odette’s house was damaged and she lost much of her store’s inventory in the quake, but this partnership allowed Odette and others to restart their small businesses. Thanks to the American Red Cross, Odette and thousands of other Fonkoze clients have received financial assistance. Odette’s house was damaged and she lost much of her store’s inventory in the quake, but today her business is growing.

Be a part of our efforts to rebuild Haiti by by making a donation. Learn more about our work in Haiti by viewing the Haiti Earthquake Response Progress Report.

Written by Blair Janis

Earthquake Ready?

Photo by: Carola Solís / Chilean Red Cross

On December 1998 for approximately 15 seconds it seemed that I was in the center of the world. I was 13 years old when I experienced my first earthquake while on vacation with family in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo in Mexico. I had just finished swimming the beach and was ready to head to dinner at a local restaurant. I decided to walk-out of the house before the rest of my family watch the fireflies. As I started my descent down the stairs I felt a slight shaking. Standing alone at the center of the staircase the vibrations of the earthshaking escalated slowly from the soles of my feet to the top of my hair. All thoughts vanished as time stopped, all I could feel was the gentle shaking beneath and the warmth of the air filling my lungs.

Since I was born and raised in Chicago, I was never educated on earthquake preparedness in school or at home. There is a misconception among people that an earthquake will not strike the Midwestern part of United States. We get tornados, blizzards, thunderstorms, and flooding but not earthquakes. However, the probability that an earthquake will strike is higher than we expect.

Reality set in on April 18, 2008 when a 5.2 earthquake hit West Salem, Illinois. The shaking was felt in the Chicago land area. It was said to be one of the strongest earthquakes to hit this part of the country in 40 years. Those that felt the shaking in the early hours of the morning shared their experience through calls to radio stations and friends, but as the shock wore off, so did talk about earthquake preparedness.

On January 12, 2010 we watched as a 7.0 earthquake devastated the island nation of Haiti. A year later we once again bared witness as a magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit the western coast of Japan causing a Tsunami. People around the world were able to see the true impact that an earthquake can inflict on a country and its people. Seeing the images of the search for the missing and hearing the stories of those who had been rescued, awaken within us our survivor instincts. We started to ask ourselves whether we were prepared for an earthquake or any catastrophic natural disaster.

Can a devastating earthquake the size of Haiti or Japan, strike the Midwestern United States?

It can. The Midwest is on one of the largest fault lines in the United States, called the New Madrid fault. The New Madrid Fault extends through northeastern Arkansas, southeastern Missouri, western Tennessee and Kentucky, and southern Illinois. According to USGS the probability of an earthquake of magnitude 7 or higher is of 7-10% and of magnitude 6.0 or larger is of 25-40%. With the potentiality of an earthquake striking, the Heartland of America taking measures to increase preparedness is essential for damage control and to lessen the impact on people.

To prepare people for earthquakes, the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago has joined The Greater Central United States Shake-Out initiative. The Shake-Out which will take place April 28, 2011 at 10:15 CDT, it is a large earthquake drill where people will practice to DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON! The purpose of The Greater Central United States Shake-Out is to inspire communities to get ready for earthquakes, and to prevent disasters from becoming catastrophes.

Here at the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago we will be practicing DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON! These simple three steps can increase the probability of surviving and recovering from an earthquake.

Join us on April 28th 2011 at 10:15, register for free at www.shakeout.org/centralus and pledge your family, school, business, or organization’s participation in the drill. Registered participants will receive information on how to plan their drill and how to create a dialogue with others about earthquake preparedness.

During an earthquake remember:

• DROP to the ground (before the earthquake drops you!)
• Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table
• HOLD ON to the table until the shaking stops.

For more information on Earthquake Preparedness visit chicagoredcross.org

Relief for the Rising Sun

Before the American Red Cross rose out of bed last Friday, devastation in Japan had already broken loose. The sun wasn’t even up as I flipped on the news to see bold red headlines and images of people clinging to the remnants of what used to be their own homes swept away by waves and swallowed by cracks in the earth.

I knew it was going to be a challenging day for the Red Cross -- a day of perseverance.

We are not alone in anything we do. Just as we stand by victims’ sides for comfort, we have our own partners who we rely on for support despite any daily event.

One of our most trusted partners in times like these, Threadless, never fails to utilize its talent to do good. It was only a matter of hours before we got word the original T-shirt company would donate 100% of proceeds to Japanese relief efforts and honor those affected by including their memory in a design for hope. They literally rose to the challenge faster than we would see Friday’s sun set.

By voting for your favorite t-shirt online featuring Japan, you can help directly, and look pretty cool wearing the winning design at the same time, too.

Just as we stand by Japan in times of crisis and hardship, can you stand to rise in times of relief? We promise it comes in your size.

Written by Katie Wilkes