How to Help Victims of the Oklahoma Tornado

Donating money to organizations that help victims is quick and easy.

Americans across the country are reacting with shock to the devastation caused by a 2-mile-wide tornado in Oklahoma. Dozens have died, and President Obama has declared the path of the tornado a major disaster area. If you would like to help, you can do so from your computer or mobile device right now. Patch will be posting stories of locals who are working to help victims from afar. If you know of someone local was affected by the tornado or who is working to help the victims, please contact your local editor.

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Red Cross Website Helps You Let Loved Ones Know You're Safe

This site allows people to tell family and friends they are safe.

Following Hurricane Sandy, it can be tough to reach all of your friends and family to let them know that you're OK. The American Red Cross has a "Safe and Well" registry that can help spread the word. You can go to the site and enter your information, and confirm that you're "safe and well." Then, friends and family can also go to the site and search for your name. Here are instructions from the Red Cross site: Register Yourself as “Safe and Well” Click on the “List Myself as Safe and Well” button to register yourself on the site. Search for Loved Ones Concerned family and friends can search the list of those who have registered themselves as “safe and well” by clicking on the “Search Registrants” button. The results of a successful search…

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Volunteer, Give Blood, It's Red Cross Month

Colonial Crossroads Chapter serves Madison, other Morris communities.

March is Red Cross Month, and the American Red Cross is asking people to join them in helping those in need by volunteering their time, making a donation, taking a class, or giving blood. “When someone provides a hot meal to a disaster victim, gives blood, takes a first aid class, or helps someone in the military, they join the Red Cross,” said Christy Hodde, executive director of the Colonial Crossroads Chapter in Summit. “We want to say ‘thank you’ to all who support us. That support enables us to provide help and hope to those who need our assistance.” The chapter will hold blood drives throughout the month to support a nationwide blood shortage caused by the cancellation of more than 14,000 blood and platelet donations since Jan. 1 due…

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Red Cross Urges Preparedness for Ice Storm

Wintry mix may present dangerous conditions.

The American Red Cross said it is keeping a close eye on the winter storm expected to bring a mix of rain, sleet and snow to New Jersey. It warned that dangerous conditions could develop with expected low temperatures, strong winds, icing, sleet and freezing rain.   The Red Cross is coordinating response efforts with government and community partners and has additional workers on stand-by to help if needed. “Red Cross Chapters throughout Central New Jersey are prepared to provide support to the community if necessary,” said Colonial Crossroads Chapter Executive Director Christy Hodde.   The Red Cross offered safety tips to follow during the current cold weather.   At home: On the road: Out in the cold: More information on how to stay safe …

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Letters to the Editor

Red Cross Gives Thanks for Donations of a Lifetime

Colonial Crossroads acknowledges those who have left chapter a gift in their will.

To the Editor: Thank you. Two words I cannot say often enough. As the executive director of the Colonial Crossroads Chapter of the American Red Cross, I am grateful to all who support our mission to help others in their greatest moments of crisis. Without our dedicated volunteers and generous donors, we simply would not be here. Unfortunately there is one group of donors I never get the opportunity to thank—those who have left our chapter a gift in their will. Since I can no longer pick up the phone and thank them, I wanted to take a moment to share the names of our friends whose gifts have made an impact this year: Dorothy Bird, Greta L. Hake, Peter Kocan, the Sally C. Payntar family, Kathleen Ruysdael, and Marvin Sebesta. I hope you …

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Dental Office Proposed for Red Cross Property

Dr. Allison Adams brings her site plan before the Planning Board.

Those who didn't know who bought the Red Cross property on Kings Road have their answer. Dr. Allison Adams purchased the property and is planning on moving her dental practice to the building, which is adjacent to the Green Village Road School property. She is also planning on having an office-only tenant upstairs. Adams' attorney Brian Burns of Burns & Schaffer of Florham Park and planning consultant Michael Tobia spoke to the Planning Board during a hearing on the site plan on Tuesday night at Bayley-Ellard. The property has been vacant for about a year after the Colonial Crossroads Chapter of the Red Cross decided in February to close the Madison location and move all operations to its Summit location. Burns said Adams will be …

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Red Cross Honors Madison's Groves at Oktoberfest

Colonial Crossroads chapter celebrates during second-annual fall fundraiser.

A crowd of nearly 200 people gathered in the parking lot of the Colonial Crossroads chapter of the Red Cross Saturday evening. Not for a crisis, but for a celebration. The chapter, which serves Madison and Summit, held its second-annual fall fundraiser and sported an Oktoberfest theme complete with beer tasting and Bavarian style food. The parking lot, normally filled with emergency vehicles, was decorated with white tents, candles and an array of local flora and fauna from the Great Swamp Greenhouse. Mary Schaenen, communications manager for the Colonial Crossroads Red Cross, said the event has been very popular. "We just started this particular fundraiser last year with a wine tasting and we had such a great time we wanted to do it again…

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Red Cross Chapter to Close Madison Office

Colonial Crossroads will be headquartered in Summit; chapter says there will be no staff reductions or service cuts.

The Colonial Crossroads Chapter of the American Red Cross will close its Madison Chapter house to consolidate administrative functions and cut costs. The chapter, which serves Summit, Madison, the Chathams, Long Hill, Florham Park, East Hanover, Berkeley Heights New Providence, and Springfield, hopes to sell the Madison house and use the chapter's Summit location as its headquarters. "We've basically outgrown the Madison chapter house," said Mary Scheanen, communications and marketing manager for the chapter." It's too small to accommodate blood drives and health and safety classes." Organizations in each of the communities the chapter serves already host most of the blood drives and classes the Red Cross offers. Schaenen said this will …

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Tsukamoto Asks for Residents to Help Haitian Relief Effort

Madisonians can send donations through local Colonial Crossroads Chapter of the Red Cross.

Madison Borough Council President Jeannie Tsukamoto is asking for residents to help the relief effort going toward the earthquake-devastated country of Haiti. Tsukamoto, a long-time volunteer for the American Red Cross, hopes the caring she's seen from people in town will carry over to the support effort. "We are proud of our warm, caring and giving community where neighbors help neighbors," Tsukamoto said in a release. "As we are overwhelmed by the horrific images in the media of the injured and massive destruction, we must come together and extend our caring and giving beyond Madison to help ease the unimaginable sufferings of our Haitian neighbors. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Haitian communities." The United Nations has …

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