September is preparedness month where families are advised put together a 72 hour ready kit with supplies on hand in case of an emergency. A family communications plan and an emergency car kit are also things that families will want to discuss and take some action on. For a list of items to include in your kits, visit READYColorado. Once you are done preparing your family, it may be time to “Make a Difference”.

How do you make a difference? It is easy. Look at your schedule and see what fits. We can make a difference with less an hour every six weeks up to as 16–24 hours a week. I’ve put the list in order of the amount of time you may want to spend on contributing to the safety of the community.

1. Donate blood. Your donation may save a life. It takes much less than an hour and you can donate every six to eight weeks. It is a simple process that makes a huge difference. For more information on making a donation, visit Bonfils and make an appointment.

2. Get to know your neighbors. When the next big snow storm or other bad weather hits, you’ll be ready to assist someone by shovelling their sidewalk or taking them to the grocery store. Some of the people who live just down the street would love to have a little help.

3. Take CPR and First Aid classes. These classes usually run about eight hours and you can find them at your local Red Cross. You never know when this could come in handy. Your life may be saved by someone who has taken a class and knows how to help.

4. Participate in Emergency Preparedness classes. Your local Citizen Corps Councils have classes that range from eight hours up to thirty-two hours. Where do you turn off the gas or water to your house? How do you use a fire extinguisher? What are some basic first aid steps you can use to help someone until first responders arrive? These answers and more are found in these fun, but informative classes.

5. Volunteer to be a Disaster Responder with Red Cross. When a fire destroys a family home, Red Cross has volunteers who are on the scene to help families relocate and provide them with clothing and the supplies needed until they get back on their feet.

6. Volunteer with  Citizen Corps. Their volunteer programs include Volunteers in Policing, Fire Corps and the Medical Reserve Corps. Your first responders from police officers to medical personnel can use your help as a regular volunteer to assist them on a monthly, weekly or even daily basis.

7. Become part of a Community Disaster Response Team (CERT). CERT members assist first responders as they practice their skills during exercises. They assist their communities by providing preparedness talks and handing out information at community gatherings. When a disaster occurs, they can help their community by checking on people and providing emotional support and basic first aid. The CERT Games are going on this weekend in Parker for teams of dedicated people from around the state. If you are interested in getting involved, check out the CERT web site.

“Make a plan. Make a difference.” It doesn’t take much time for us to be prepared and to help our community, but it makes a big difference.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, September 15th, 2007 at 6:17 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.