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There’s no crying in baseball!

Fall brings such good things: baseball playoffs, football homecomings, pumpkin spice everything

and your October ARCAN Newsletter!!

Issue 4, October 2024

October issue at-a-glance

YOU'RE INVITED to a new Virtual Homecoming event! Catch us up on YOU and bring your best stories and photos!!!
In our alumni features, Neal Gorman brings us along on his family’s carousel adventures; and Roger Lowe shares about almost being retired.
We have two great articles on Medicare including help with open enrollment, plus an expert on “Should you wait longer to retire?”
Red Cross updates include Milton and Helene updates with a story about a volunteer whose home was seriously damaged in North Carolina while she was helping others in Florida; an update on concerns about the Russian Red Cross; and a call to protect and respect civilian life and infrastructure in the Middle East.
In other news, see if you could pass a U.S. Citizenship test; and experts are exploring a new way of approaching the loneliness crisis.

ARCAN NEWS

ARCAN's Inaugural Virtual Homecoming

On Wednesday, October 24 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, American Red Cross alumni will join virtually from places far and near and share what we've been up to since our Red Cross days. Catch up with friends and colleagues, and tell us about YOU, from work and volunteer ventures to travel adventures, hurricane tales and more.

Hosts Sumner Hucheson III and Frank Carroll will invite your best stories and photos. More details soon!

Neal Gorman – Our Family’s Carouse Adventure

A dad chasing smiles since 2018

My family’s carousel adventure began in a suburb of Chicago in the most ordinary of ways – a random decision to visit the Brookfield Zoo on a day my wife was getting her hair done.

We had some sibling hiccups and arguments about who was going to ride the ladybug or the snow leopard, or the gorilla, but once we warmed up, their smiles that day were simply infectious. I knew right away we had stumbled upon something special. I was hooked. This simple outing would spark a journey that would take us across the country, riding over 94 carousels to date, and create countless treasured memories.

We’ve driven more than 24,000 miles in pursuit of these timeless smile makers, not counting any flight miles, and we’re still going strong!

Full story

Welcome new ARCAN members!

We're so excited to continue to see new Red Cross alumni joining ARCAN! We want to welcome you and encourage you to explore all that the community has to offer including ARCAN's exclusive benefits, from the Member Directory to Alumni Stories and select Events. A full list of member benefits can be found on the ARCAN website: www.redcrossalumni.org. We love that you're part of the community!!

ARCAN HAS A NEW MAILING ADDRESS!!

Please update your records! The new mailing address for ARCAN is now in Washington, D.C.:

American Red Cross Alumni Network
PO Box 21004
Washington, D.C. 20009

WEBINARS

Watch September’s Webinar Interview with Debby Hampton

Last month’s webinar featuring Debby Hampton was so interesting! Debby shared behind the scenes of the Oklahoma City Bombing and ways its success and lessons-learned informed the Red Cross response to 9/11 and all mass fatality disasters.

With decades of nonprofit experience, Debby is a wealth of knowledge, and her stories are life lessons.

If you missed the September webinar, the recording is now available on video with Passcode: 4RsKhL*+

November 19 Webinar with Trevor Riggen

Mark your calendar for an ARCAN webinar November 19, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, with Trevor Riggen, American Red Cross President of Humanitarian Services. Stay tuned for more information!

Virtual Commemoration of Life Ceremony for Jo Anne Jones

We were so sad to share the news last month that Jo Anne Jones had passed. At her request, there will be no formal service. However, a virtual Celebration of Life for her Red Cross friends is now being planned for November, via Zoom (postponed due to the recent hurricanes). More details soon.

Roger with Alexis, his wife of 44 years, in West Palm Beach, Florida in January, "escaping the cold."

“The Red Cross was the best job I ever had and I have applied the experience and lessons learned there in every job since. It’s not perfect; no place is. But the shared experiences and friendships I have from my Red Cross days are stronger and longer-lasting than any of my other jobs over 40 years. My advice: Stay in touch with the people you worked with. You’ll be amazed at the number of times your careers and paths intersect again.”

Where Are They Now? - A Q&A with Roger Lowe

Q. What brought you to the American Red Cross, and what did you do when you worked there?

I joined the Red Cross in March 2009 as the senior vice president of Communications. For several years before that, I had been part of an informal Kitchen Cabinet of public affairs advisers for Suzy DeFrancis, the chief public affairs officer, who I had worked with previously in my public relations career. So, when there was an opening as SVP for the Communications Department, I was excited about the chance to work for an organization that made such a difference for people across the country and the world, as well as being able to work again with Suzy.

Q: What work have you done since leaving the Red Cross, and for whom?

Read full Q&A here.

RETIREE NEWS

Prepare for Medicare Open Enrollment

You can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Health Plan, including “Medigap” and Part D (for prescriptions) or a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C), during annual open enrollment. Open enrollment runs between October 15 and December 7, 2024, for coverage which begins January 1, 2025.

Changes for 2025 include a cap on out-of-pocket drug costs at $2000, expanded coverage for mental health care, and additional coverage for caregivers. These benefits and others are described in detail in the handbook, “Medicare and You 2025,” which has been mailed to Medicare recipients.

If you are satisfied with your 2024 coverage, you do not need to do anything, and the plans will continue in 2025. However, comparing your current plans to alternatives may save you money and improve your coverage. In addition, your current providers may make changes which will impact the cost or availability of a medication or service that you need or change premiums and other out-of-pocket costs. Your current providers are required to send you an Annual Notice of Change letter; don’t let it get lost in your junk mail and review it carefully.

Help is available for choosing the coverage options that are right for you: Free, personalized counseling from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). (Numbers by state are included in your Medicare and You – 2022 Handbook.) Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048. Find and compare health and drug plans at https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare.This resource will invite you to enter your regularly needed medications and other information, and display several plan options with the details that you need.

A trusted agent or broker may also be able to help. Red Cross retirees receiving the monthly benefit to offset health insurance premiums must buy their coverage through Alight; see the related article in this eNewsletter.

More Information

Need help comparing plans during open enrollment? Check out these resources:

Find Plans at Medicare.gov, where you can see estimates for all your prescriptions. Look at the eHandbook you received in the mail. Call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE during Open Enrollment.

Red Cross retirees can also get help from Aon Retiree Health Solutions at 1-877-458-9657. Aon also offers an online tool for comparing one’s coverage needs and purchasing coverage at www.retiree.aon.com. Aon does not broker all plans and more suitable options may be available in your area. But remember– retirees who qualify for and want to continue their Health Reimbursement Account/Premium Supplement Fund benefit must continue to purchase coverage through Aon.

Annual Medicare Renewal Notice from Alight

Retirees receiving a Retiree Medical Benefit from the Red Cross will have received their Annual Medicare Renewal Notice in mid-September from Alight, a company which administers this benefit on behalf of the American Red Cross.

If you’re one of the small percentage of retirees receiving this benefit and happy with your current coverages, there’s nothing more to do. However, many retirees can improve their coverage and/or reduce their costs by comparing their current supplemental, Advantage or Part D (prescriptions) plans with others offered through Alight. Options can be viewed by logging into retiree.alight.com/redcross and updating your profile information and reviewing total costs, benefits and other aspects of various plans. Alternatively, retirees can phone 1-877-458-9657 to make an appointment with an Alight representative who can assist with choices.

The notice also confirms the monthly amount of the Red Cross contribution to your premiums that will be paid into your Retiree Health Reimbursement Account in 2025 and reminds you that your coverages must be purchased through Alight for this benefit to continue. Although Aon does not represent all plans available in your area, many retirees have found competitive choices … especially when the Red Cross benefit is factored in.

SSA shifting to digital signatures for many of its most-used forms

From FEDSCOOP

More than 30 of the most commonly used forms in Social Security Administration field offices will shift from physical to digital signatures, in a modernization move that the agency said is intended to ease customer burdens. Those forms collectively represent roughly 14 million signatures submitted yearly, making up 90% of the forms most regularly used by customers at local SSA offices.

“Across forms that Americans use most often, we’re eliminating as many pain points as possible, from helping people sign at the click of a button to reducing the need to drive or mail something in whenever possible,” SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley said in a press release. “This means faster and more error-free processing and better service for our customers, who deserve a government that meets their needs efficiently and effectively.” Read the full story here.

AFFILIATED GROUPS NEWS

2024 American Red Cross Overseas Association (ARCOA) Convention

September – Kansas City, Missouri

Southern California Retirees and ARCAN Members Reunion and Luncheon

Calling all Red Crossers to come join Southern California Retirees and ARCAN members for a delicious luncheon and mini reunion on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at noon PDT. Find details on the Affiliated Groups page on the website.

Save The Date!

Greater Washington and Baltimore ARCAN Group Luncheon

Friday, November 15, 2024, 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

430 17th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006

Join your former Red Cross colleagues for an enjoyable gathering in the beautiful Tiffany Circle Room (formerly Board of Governors Hall) at American Red Cross National Headquarters.) Program details to follow… watch your email in early October! The luncheon is $25 per person. Please send your check, payable to ARCAN GWB, to Maura Kennedy, 313 South Carolina Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20003.

Interested in joining the board of the Greater Washington and Baltimore ARCAN group? Email Carol Robinson at carol.robinson0208@gmail.com.

IN MEMORIAM

A group of local Red Cross legends (as Neal Denton described his fellow Red Crossers) attended the inspiring celebration of life for former American Red Cross President, Richard Schubert on September 28, in McLean, Virginia. Linda Mathes shared her memories of Dick and his service to the American Red Cross during an important time in our historyIf you missed it in last month’s issue, read Dick’s obit here.

RED CROSS NEWS

AMERICAN RED CROSS

“What we give as volunteers could not be purchased with all the money in the world!”

Red Cross volunteer, Deborah Smith, was deployed to Tampa, Florida, when Hurricane Helene made landfall and impacted her home in South Carolina.

She expressed her deepest gratitude to the Red Cross disaster responders who were there to support her as she and her family endured the storm apart:

“My husband and daughter are safe and physically unharmed.

Mentally, we are all a little shaken, but the support I received here on the ground in Tampa and the phone calls and texts from fellow @RedCrossSC volunteers and employees truly helped to steady my trembling hands and slow my tears.

My house was built in 1920 by an amazing sister and brother who moved here to work in a new plant that had just opened in Spartanburg. They painstakingly planted pecan trees and oak trees and put so much care into the home that they were building. I don't know if it can be saved, but I'm truly grateful for the love and care they put into the house that one day became our home.

[The photo is from the side] of the house that they could capture safely.

If you ever questioned whether what you do truly matters as a Red Crosser, I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that it absolutely does. What we give as volunteers could not be purchased with all the money in the world, it is priceless!

Thank you to everyone, from me and my family." ❤️

Red Cross Mobilizes Massive Relief Efforts for Hurricanes Milton and Helene

Less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene washed away entire communities, Hurricane Milton ravaged Florida’s Gulf Coast and spawned an unprecedented outbreak of tornados. Thousands sought refuge in Florida evacuation shelters. It will be days before we have a full picture of the devastation left behind. Thus far, a dozen deaths have been counted from the storm.

More than 2,000 Red Crossers are working around the clock to continue supporting families upended by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, providing safe shelter, food, water, and recovery support to families facing unimaginable loss.

Red Crosser Grace Meinhofer Torres shares with ABC News Live how our teams are helping and how the public can support our disaster relief efforts.

With the help of partners, the Red Cross has provided over 33,800 overnight stays in 227 emergency shelters and more than 435,000 meals and snacks to those affected.

The death toll from Hurricane Helene has surpassed 200 people across six states as crews continue searching for survivors in remote areas one week after Helene struck the US. Roughly 900,000 people remain without power (see map), and tens of thousands without running water, as of this writing.

Hurricane Helene is the deadliest storm to make landfall on the US mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 (see list). At least 72 victims died in Buncombe County, North Carolina, which includes Asheville and was hardest hit within Helene's roughly 600-mile-long path of destruction. Helene and other storm systems in the past week dumped more than 30 inches of rain on North Carolina, triggering the biggest flooding in the state's recorded history. See photos here.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Kirk strengthened into a Category 4 storm in the Atlantic. The storm will remain in open waters but is expected to create life-threatening surf and rip currents along the US East Coast this weekend. On the other side of the world, at least two people were killed, 200 injured, and more than 10,000 evacuated after Typhoon Krathon struck southern Taiwan.

ABC News Interview here

How you can help

Red Cross Announces a New Disaster Service

On August 26 the American Red Cross announced to staff and volunteers the addition of its newest program of record in the suite of Red Cross disaster services: Information-as-a-Service or IaaS.

Up until two weeks previous to that, shelters were the only Red Cross service delivery site visible to the public on Red Cross digital platforms.

With the support of a new DRO management platform, WebEOC, Red Cross will officially began changing that paradigm. Now with the new system tested and in place:

Every person with the Red Cross Emergency App or with access to RedCross.org in a disaster-affected area can see where the Red Cross is delivering all of its services, not just open shelters. Those using the Emergency App can also get an alert whenever a Red Cross disaster service is available in their zip code.
Every disaster responder on a DRO can instantly tell every client they encounter where to get a hot meal, clean-up kit, shelter and financial assistance by using the Red Cross Emergency App on their smart phones—not just shelters: all service delivery sites.
With a single data entry in WebEOC, everyone – the Red Cross Call Center, responders, redcross.org, partners and clients -- will instantly have the same real-time common operating picture of where the Red Cross is serving, when the Red Cross will be there and what services the Red Cross is providing, and they can adjust the details as needed throughout the day.

In the same way that "Every Shelter, Every Day, Every Need" (E3) is now the conduit for ensuring client needs are met in a shelter, IaaS will meet clients' need for information so they can find Red Cross every day.

By executing this strategy to dramatically increase Red Cross visibility and client access to services, the organization will reach more clients with unmet needs, and communities will know where and how to find the Red Cross when disaster strikes.IaaS is a key part of the Red Cross 5-Year Vision: Trust - Transform - Transcend!

Webinar: Making a Difference in Global Communities: On October 9 at 2 p.m. ET

Gilbert Garcia, senior strategic advisor for Movement Transformation, will provide an overview of American Red Cross global efforts. Vicente Baamonde, director of International Programs for Latin America and the Caribbean, will present an in-depth look at our initiatives and support programs specifically in these regions, showcasing how we are making a difference in communities across Latin America and the Caribbean. Register at the link above.

International Humanitarian Law

Even War Has Rules

Armed conflicts are ongoing around the world. At times it may seem that there are no rules in war. However, there are rules in war, and they make a difference. Even War Has Rules is a dynamic discussion on international humanitarian law (IHL) and how it governs armed conflict. By the end of the class, participants will achieve a general understanding of IHL and will be better able to evaluate the actions of parties to armed conflicts.

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

5:00 - 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time | 8:00 – 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Hosted by Red Cross Instructors Reena Arya and Katrina Barlow.

Click here for general registration: forms.office.com/r/uUzLwUQVeW

If you are a Northern California Coastal Region Red Crosser, please click here to register: rdcrss.org/3zaE8N1

IHL discussion with guest speaker Michael Stone.

Thursday, October 17th, 2024
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time | 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Michael Stone comes with a wealth of experience in humanitarian response with special reference to refugees and internally displaced persons. Michael was recently appointed as President of the Alumni Association of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent. He has substantial experience of directing large-scale operations (in armed conflict and disaster) with NGOs, International Red Cross, and the United Nations. Most recently, Michael completed a project, for the EU, which was to examine the Government of Ukraine’s handling of the internally displaced in relation to IHL and IHRL, with appropriate recommendations for future large scale EU funding. Michael's experience includes years in the conflict areas of Afghanistan, Pakistan, former Yugoslavia, former Soviet Union and Iraq.

Click here for general registration: forms.office.com/r/5Rb9JM5wFL

If you are a Northern California Coastal Region Red Crosser, please click here to register:rdcrss.org/3TR1RsE

Born on the Battlefield

The International Humanitarian Law and the Red Cross Movement were both born on the battlefield. At the conclusion of this three-hour course, participants will be able to analyze the legality of actions in armed conflicts and understand the role that the Red Cross Movement has played in the development of International Humanitarian Law.

Tuesday, November 12, 2024
4 – 7 p.m. Pacific Time | 7 – 10 p.m. Eastern Time

Hosted by Red Cross Instructors Liz Dietz and Jill Hofmann.

Click here for general registration: forms.office.com/r/WNcd39ncnw

If you are a Northern California Coastal Region Red Crosser, please click here to register: rdcrss.org/3TiPdCF

Even War Has Rules

Tuesday, November 19th, 2024
5:00 p.m. - 6:30 PM p.m. Pacific Time | 8:00 – 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Hosted by Red Cross Instructors Kathy Sieu and Stephanie Willett.

Click here for general registration: forms.office.com/r/kXiiraPkpZ

If you are a Northern California Coastal Region Red Crosser, please click here to register:rdcrss.org/47QepWV

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES

Recommendations from IFRC Governing Board Oversight Group on Russian Red Cross

As the world’s largest humanitarian network comprised of 191 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the IFRC advocates for delivering life-saving humanitarian assistance, even in the most complex scenarios.

The situation in and around the international armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine is an extraordinarily difficult geo-political and operational context that poses tremendous risks for civilians and the humanitarian workers operating in this environment. Given the context, this work is challenging and often performed in less-than-ideal and dangerous circumstances.

Allegations against the Russian Red Cross (RRC) have understandably raised concerns among the people we serve and within our network. We need the trust of the communities we serve to ensure access and deliver humanitarian assistance. Trust is the cornerstone of our work. To maintain this trust, the IFRC established a dedicated Governing Board Oversight Group (GBOG) to examine these allegations.

On 24 September 2024, the IFRC Governing Board endorsed the GBOG findings and recommendations for the RRC.

See recommendations at https://www.ifrc.org/article/recommendations-ifrc-governing-board-oversight-group-russian-red-cross

INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS

Middle East: Protection of Civilians Urgently Needed as Violence Escalates

As civilian deaths and injuries continue to rise, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is urgently appealing for parties to the conflict to adhere to international humanitarian law and to protect and respect civilian life and infrastructure. Read the full story here.

OTHER NEWS

Could YOU Pass a U.S. Citizenship Test?

From Associated Press

Test your knowledge at

https://apnews.com/article/civics-citizenship-politics-bfeee2f2bfa19f8481d469aab258c684

Photo credit: Nathan J Hilton/ Pexels

These Famous Brands Used To Have Different Names

From Interesting Facts

Would a Pepsi by any other name taste as sweet? Although many of the world’s most famous brands may seem inseparable from their current names, a number started out with very different labels. Read on for some of the strange and surprising stories behind the names of your favorite products and companies, from Google’s slightly uncomfortable former moniker to the household salve originally called “Wonder Jelly.

Google Was Originally “BackRub”

Search engines and massage therapy are usually separate spheres. But when Larry Page and Sergey Brin started working together from their dorm rooms at Stanford in the mid-1990s, they built a search engine that used … read more.

Hanging Coffee

There is a little coffee shop, where two people arrive and approached the counter.
“Five coffees please. Two for us and three hanging.”
They paid, they took their two coffees and left.
I asked the waiter. "What’s this about hanging coffees?"
“Wait and you'll see."
Some more people came in.
Two girls asked for a coffee each, they paid and left.
The following order was for seven coffees and it was made by three women - ‘three for them and four hanging coffees.’
I was left wondering...what is the meaning of the hanging coffees, they leave.
Then, a man dressed in worn clothes, who looks like he might be homeless, arrives at the counter and asks sincerely...
“Do you have a coffee hanging?"
“Yes we do, sir.”
They serve him a coffee.... I got my answer.
People pay in advance for a coffee that will be served to whoever can't afford a hot drink.

This tradition started in Naples, Italy. Neapolitan writer, director and actor Luciano De Crescenzo explains it like this: “When someone is happy in Naples, instead of paying a cup of coffee for himself, he just pays another one for someone else; it’s like offering a cup of coffee to the rest of the world.”
Amazingly, it has spread throughout the world’s cities and towns. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all start doing this where we live?

Best and Worst States to Retire (2024)

From Cassandra Happe, Wallethub Analyst

Many people fear that retirement will mark the end of their financial security, and others worry they might never actually get to retire. That’s understandable when 28%of non-retired adults haven’t saved any money for retirement and Social Security benefits replace only about 37%of the average worker’s earnings.

Living in the right place after you retire can make your money go a lot further. To determine the best states to retire, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 46 key indicators of retirement-friendliness, from financial factors like tax rates and the cost of living to things like access to quality medical care and fun activities.

“Being retired brings freedom, but it also naturally is a time of financial constraint, with many seniors living on a fixed income. To make the most of your retirement savings, you should retire in a state where the cost of living and tax rates are friendly to retirees, if you have the resources to. You should also consider factors like the quality of the state’s healthcare system and the abundance of activities that you enjoy.” Read more

Should You Wait Longer to Retire?

From Retallick Financial

America's changing demographics are straining its retirement system, as people live longer and spend more of their lives in retirement. As a solution, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has suggested* that Americans work longer before retiring.

"No one should have to work longer than they want to. But I do think it's a bit crazy that our anchor idea for the right retirement age — 65 years old — originates from the time of the Ottoman Empire," Fink wrote in his 2024 letter, focused on the retirement crisis as the populations of the U.S. and other countries age. "We should want more people to live more years. But we can't overlook the massive impact on the country's retirement system."

Why Is The Loneliness Epidemic So Hard To Cure?

Maybe because we aren’t thinking about it in the right way.

From New York Times Magazine

In the early months of 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic settled over the country, a psychologist and Harvard lecturer named Richard Weissbourd approached his colleagues with a concept for a new kind of study. Loneliness, or the specter of it, seemed to Weissbourd to be everywhere — in the solitude of quarantine, in the darkened windows of the buildings on campus, in the Zoom squares that had come to serve as his primary conduit to his students. Two years earlier, he read a study from Cigna, the insurance provider, showing that 46 percent of Americans felt sometimes or always alone. In 2019, when Cigna replicated the study, the number of lonely respondents had grown to 52 percent. God knows what the data would say now, Weissbourd thought.

“Initially, the idea was, OK, we’ve got a problem that’s not new but is obviously affecting lots of us, and that is now more visible than ever — it’s more present than ever,” Weissbourd told me. “What I really wanted was to get under the hood. Like, what does loneliness feel like to the lonely? What are the potential consequences? And what’s causing it?” Read more

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American Red Cross Alumni Network

PO Box 21004

Washington, D.C. 20009

E-mail: info@redcrossalumni.org | Tel: 202.303.8779

Website: RedCrossAlumni.org