The American Red Cross responds to help a family of 6 in Spanish Fork

Spanish Fork, UTAH (Tuesday, January 27, 2009) —Right now the American Red Cross is helping a family of 6 in Spanish Fork after a fire ripped through their home.

The Red Cross disaster action team volunteers helped the family with immediate emergency services such as shelter, food, clothing and comfort kits. The local Chapter will be helping them in the coming days.

Red Cross Chapters in Utah respond to about 200 incidents each year, some of them render multiple families homeless. Nationwide, the American Red Cross’s local chapters help victims of major and minor disasters by offering immediate comfort, which may include food, a warm place to stay, clothing and other life necessities. Volunteers give comfort kits to victims of fire, flood or other disasters. The kits include helpful items like toothbrushes, toothpaste and a toy for children.

If you’d like to help, financial donations are always accepted to help those affected by this fire and other disasters in your community.

About the American Red Cross in Utah:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; teaches lifesaving skills; supplies blood to 30 area hospitals; and supports military members and their families. The organization also provides emergency utility assistance and international family tracing services. The American Red Cross is a nonprofit organization, not a government funded agency, which depends entirely upon volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission. Donate your time or resources to your local Chapter. Salt Lake Area 801-323-7000 or visit www.utahredcross.org, Provo Area (801) 373-8580 www.redcrossut.org, Ogden Area (801) 627-0000, www.redcrossutah.org

Disaster Relief Effort In Apartment Fire

Leonard Dubois, of the American Red Cross, Mountain Valley Chapter in Provo, reports the disaster relief efforts for the families in the recent, fatal apartment fire are going smoothly. He shared, "We have assisted 28 families. The donations from the community have been overwhelming and all of the clients are as happy as they can be considering the situation. Funeral services were held on Saturday for the one person that perished in the fire."

Red Cross Helps WVC Family Find New Place To Live Today

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH ( Friday, January 23, 2009)— The Greater Salt Lake Area Chapter of the American Red Cross is helping a West Valley City family this morning after a 4 am fire ripped through their home at 3556 W. Westlake Road (3195 S.) Two adults and a 5-year-old were at home at the time. Two other children were not at home when the fire struck. The 5-year-old was transported to IHC for smoke inhalation.

The American Red Cross disaster volunteers provided the family with immediate necessities: shelter, food, clothing and shoes. Today, Red Cross volunteers will assist the family as they try to find a new place to live. The family’s dog made it out of the fire and is staying with a neighbor. The duplex fire displaced the one family, the other side of the duplex is ok.

The Greater Salt Lake Area Chapter of the American Red Cross responds to up to 100 incidents each year, some of them render multiple families homeless. Statewide, the Red Cross responds to about 200 incidents each year. Nationwide, the American Red Cross’s local chapters help victims of major and minor disasters by offering immediate comfort, which may include food, a warm place to stay, clothing and other life necessities. Volunteers give comfort kits to victims of fire, flood or other disasters. The kits include helpful items like toothbrushes, toothpaste and a toy for children.

If you’d like to help, financial donations are always accepted to help victims of this fire and other disasters in your community. For more information about donating to the Chapter Emergency Services please go to www.utahredcross.org or call 801.323.7000.

About the American Red Cross, Greater Salt Lake Area Chapter:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; teaches lifesaving skills; provides blood to 30 area hospitals; and supports military members and their families. The organization also provides emergency utility assistance and international family tracing services. The American Red Cross is a nonprofit organization, not a government funded agency, which depends entirely upon volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission. Donate your time or resources to the Greater Salt Lake Area Chapter of the American Red Cross by calling 801-323-7000 or visit www.utahredcross.org.

Donate an old car... and help your local American Red Cross Chapters in Utah.

They'll pick it up and tow it away for you. Call 1-877-732-7077

or fill out this online form and they'll pick it up for you: http://www.donatemycar-pp.com/GSLA/form.php

The History of the Emblems of the Red Cross

History of the emblems

Emblems in use

[edit] The Red Cross

The Red Cross emblem was officially approved in Geneva in 1863^[1]

The Red Cross flag is not to be confused with the St George's Cross which is the flag of England, Barcelona, Freiburg and several other places. In order to avoid this confusion the protected symbol is sometimes referred to as the "Greek Red Cross"; that term is also used in United States law to describe the Red Cross. The red cross of the St George cross extends to the edge of the flag, whereas the red cross on the Red Cross flag does not.

[edit] The Red Crescent

The Red Crescent emblem was first used by ICRC volunteers during the armed conflict between Russia and Turkey (1877–1878). The symbol was officially adopted in 1929, and so far 25 Islamic states have recognized it.

[edit] The Red Crystal

On December 8, 2005, partly in response to growing pressure to accommodate Magen David Adom as a full member of the Red Cross & Red Crescent movement,^{[citation needed]} a new emblem (officially the Third Protocol Emblem, but more commonly known as the Red Crystal) was adopted by an amendment of the Geneva Conventions known as Protocol III.

[edit] Recognized emblems in disuse

[edit] The Red Lion and Sun

The Red Lion and Sun Society of Iran was established in 1922 and admitted to the Red Cross & Red Crescent movement in 1923.^[2] However, some report the symbol was introduced at Geneva in 1864^{[citation needed][3]} as a counter example to the crescent and cross used by two of Iran's rivals, the Ottoman and the Russian empires. Though that claim is inconsistent with the Red Crescent's history, that history also suggests that the Red Lion and Sun, like the Red Crescent, may have been conceived during the 1877-1878 war between Russia and Turkey.

In 1980, because of the association of the emblem with the Shah, the newly proclaimed Islamic Republic of Iran replaced the Red Lion and Sun with the Red Crescent, consistent with most other Muslim nations. Though the Red Lion and Sun has now fallen into disuse, Iran has in the past reserved the right to take it up again at any time; the Geneva Conventions continue to recognize it as an official emblem, and that status was confirmed by Protocol III even as it added the Red Crystal.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Unrecognized emblems

[edit] The Red Star of David (Magen David Adom)

For over 50 years, Israel requested the addition of a Red Star of David, arguing that since Christian and Muslim emblems were recognized, the corresponding Jewish emblem should be as well. This emblem is the one used by Magen David Adom (MDA), the national first-aid society of Israel, but it is still not recognized by the Geneva Conventions as a protected symbol.

The American Red Cross responds to 4 separate fires over the holiday weekend -27 people affected

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (Tuesday, January 20, 2009) — This morning the Mountain Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross is helping 16 people after an apartment fire in Provo ripped through their building located at 750 South and 650 West. One person was taken to the hospital. The local McDonalds and Denny’s donated breakfast for those residents this morning. Local authorities say the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Also this weekend, the Greater Salt Lake Area Chapter disaster action team volunteers helped two separate families after house fires. Saturday night, a home in the Avenues burned leaving an extended family of 6 people in need of immediate services. The Red Cross volunteers are working with them to provide shelter and food. The home was located at 576 East 9th Avenue.

Another fire occurred at 7230 Adams in Magna on Sunday. Red Cross Volunteer Bob Kelleher said, “The house is a total loss, they lost everything.” The family of four also lost their two dogs and a pet lizard in the fire. Their children were devastated. A cat escaped through a window broken by firefighters.

In Ogden, the Northern Utah American Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers helped one man, hospitalized, after his home burned in a fire that firefighters said started in the kitchen. The fire occurred early this morning at 1652 Dunsinane Circle in Ogden.

Chapters in Utah respond to about 200 incidents each year, some of them render multiple families homeless. Nationwide, the American Red Cross’s local chapters help victims of major and minor disasters by offering immediate comfort, which may include food, a warm place to stay, clothing and other life necessities. Volunteers give comfort kits to victims of fire, flood or other disasters. The kits include helpful items like toothbrushes, toothpaste and a toy for children.

If you’d like to help, financial donations are always accepted to help those affected by these fires and other disasters in your community. For more information about donating to the Chapter Emergency Services please go to www.utahredcross.org or call 801.323.7000.

About the American Red Cross, Greater Salt Lake Area Chapter:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; teaches life saving skills; supplies blood to more than 30 area hospitals; and supports military members and their families. The American Red Cross is a nonprofit organization, not a government funded agency, which depends entirely upon volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission. Donate your time or resources to the Greater Salt Lake Area Chapter of the American Red Cross by calling 801-323-7000 or visit www.utahredcross.org.

White Tiger Cubs Find New Momma!!

When hurricane Hannah separated two white tigers from their mother, Anjana came to the Rescue. Anjana, a chimp at TIGERS in South Carolina, became surrogate mom and playmate to the cubs, even helping with bottle feeding, (according to The Sun). But here's the truly amazing part: Anjana does this all the time, having raised leopard and lion cubs.

Single Mom and 10 Children Helped By Utah Red Cross

The Greater Salt Lake Area Chapter helped a single mom cope after a fire burned their home this weekend in Salt Lake. She has 10 kids, 6 of them live at home. The disaster volunteers helped the family with lodging, food and clothing. The mom told us today, "God Bless the Red Cross," she said her heart dropped when she arrived to find her home on fire. "The help the Red Cross gave us uplifted me. I had nothing. I was crying. I was in shock. After I was able to get some clothes for my kids I felt so much better. Some of my kids didn't even have shoes after the fire."

SLC Chapter Red Cross Volunteers Spread Holiday Cheer

Holiday Mail for our Heroes!

As the New Year gets underway, we'd like to thank all our friends and volunteers who contributed this last month in our distribution of holiday cards and warm wishes for our heroes in uniform!

The above images were snapped as local volunteers gathered at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center to distribute hundreds of personalized holiday wishes donated to the Holiday Mail for Heroes program. Hugs, cards and our love was shared with the many veterans who were pleased to share our company and visit.

Thanks again to our volunteers, donors and our brave heroes!