News of interest to ARCRA members

As part of the reformatting of the ARCRA eNewsletter, we have found a way to include your membership type (Annual or Lifetime) and your renewal date if you are an Annual Member in the header of your monthly eNewsletter.  So, you can now easily see your renewal date without going through the steps of logging on to our website.  We hope that you will find this helpful and an easy way to see when your membership renewal will be coming!

If you have an email address and want to start getting the monthly eNewsletter, just email your name and email address to admin@arcretireeassoc.org. or call the office 202-303-7184 and Leave a voice mail with your name and email address. We will update your membership profile to include your email address and you will get the next eNewsletter at the end of the month.

Starting October 1, 2020, you will need to present a REAL ID-compliant license, current U.S passport, or another acceptable form of identification for domestic air travel or to enter federal government facilities.  

Check out the list of acceptable IDs at  https://www.dhs.gov/real-id  

If your driver's license is expiring soon, consider updating your driver's license to REAL ID.

If you use your driver's license for identification for domestic travel, you need to update your driver's license to REAL ID.

A REAL ID compliant driver’s license is one that meets, and is issued by a state that complies with the REAL ID Act’s security standards. For questions go to https://www.dhs.gov/real-id

Looking for an interesting and meaningful project this winter?

Check out Project FeederWatch, a citizen-science initiative of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada. Volunteers across North American help to conduct  a census of North American birds  from Nov. 9 through April 3 by crowd sourcing data.  You select an area to monitor-the space around the bird feeder in your back yard for example.  You count the birds you see and record the number and species of birds online. The study recommends that you monitor for two consecutive days a week,.  But if you have travel planned for the holidays, it is OK if you miss a few weeks or a month. At the end of the census season, scientists aggregate the data.

Data provides information on changing bird populations.  A new study shows that nearly three billion North American birds have been lost since 1970, many of them once-common backyard birds.  Data collected through Project FeederWatch provides information on the effects of changing climate and environment on bird populations.

Click her to get Project FeederWatch information

Flu season is underway, and it is expected that more than half of the U.S. population will get a flu vaccine this year according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID). However, the American Red Cross does not defer individuals from donating blood after receiving the influenza vaccine if they are symptom-free and meet all other donation eligibility requirements.

Important Flu and Blood Facts

The flu vaccine can be administered by a flu shot or intranasal. Neither are cause for a blood donation deferral and there is no risk of transmitting the influenza virus after receiving the vaccine. Additionally, influenza virus has not been shown to be transmitted through blood transfusion.

For those that have the flu, it is important to wait until they no longer exhibit flu symptoms, have recovered completely and feel well before attempting to donate. All blood donors must feel healthy and well on the day of donation.

How Healthy Individuals Can Donate

Learn more about how to stay healthy this flu season so you can help patients in need. Individuals can find more information about preventing the flu on redcross.org, as well as receive guidance on the flu from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Schedule an appointment to give blood with the American Red Cross by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or activating the Blood Scheduling Skill for Amazon Alexa.

We are all aware of the cardiovascular problems created by high levels of trans fat.  A new study published in the journal  Neurology found that people with higher levels of trans fats in their blood may be 50% to 75% more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease or dementia from any cause. Read more 

Artificial trans fats, or trans fatty acids, are made when vegetable oil hardens in a process called hydrogenation. Those hydrogenated fats can be used in fried foods, snack foods or baked goods, and in products such as vegetable shortening, stick margarine, coffee creamer, cakes, pie crusts, frozen pizza, cookies, crackers, biscuits, dozens of other processed foods and ready-to-use frosting. They don't spoil as quickly as other fats, but they can have some harmful health effects, such as raising levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol and increasing risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. The food industry loves trans fats because they are cheap to produce, last a long time and give foods a great taste and texture.

Next Avenue is public media's first and only national journalism service for America's booming senor population-people over 50.   Already over 40 million people have accessed information on the website www.nextavenue.org  and millions more use the platforms and partnerships.  Next Avenue is a two-way conversation that comes to life on the website, in social media, in user panels and in surveys and polls.

Next Avenue is unique among today’s media:

• It is part of the PBS system.
• Includes articles by journalists and experts passionate about serving the senior audience.
• Provides access to a network of impeccable sources and prestigious partnerships.
• Is a media outlet not focused to the bottom line, but to make a difference in the lives of the senior audience.

Sign up for the free e-newsletters and follow Next Avenue on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. 

The service of remembrance for those who have died in service to the American Red Cross is held annually at national headquarters. Each year, a wreath is placed in the garden at Red Cross Square at the foot of the statue commissioned by ARCOA and created by the world-famous sculptor of the Iwo Jima Marine Memorial, Felix de Weldon.  The sculpture was dedicated in 1959.  Its depiction of the three Red Cross workers reaching to help a fallen soldier embodies the spirit of the organization.

The American Red Cross Overseas Association (ARCOA) is an independent national organization that started post WWII in 1949.  It serves to renew and continue friendships created while in Red Cross service overseas, keeps alive the spirit that prompted that service, contributes to international understanding, works for the mutual benefit of members, engages in community service, provides services to members in need, acknowledges an outstanding humanitarian annually, and makes training funds available to members, members' children and grandchildren.

Although you don’t need to sign up for Medicare each year, you should review your coverages and make changes if the choices you made for 2019 no longer meet your needs. Making changes could also lower your out-of-pocket costs

Each year, many Medicare participants allow their supplemental coverage, Medicare Advantage or Part D (prescriptions drug) coverage to rollover into the new year only to learn later that premiums have gone up significantly or that medications they need are no longer covered or are much more expensive. Although it can take a little time, an annual review of your coverage can improve your coverage and sometimes save you money.

Fortunately, there are excellent resources to help with comparison and enrollment:

• ·         Most current Medicare enrollees will receive “Medicare & You 2010”; the official US Gov’t Medicare Handbook
• ·         https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare is an “official” website designed to help make the right choice.
• ·         Not online? Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) for help
• ·         Red Cross retirees can also receive support through the Aon Retiree Health Exchange at https://retiree.aon.com/ or by phoning 1-877-458-9657. (Retirees receiving American Red Cross Retiree Health reimbursement must purchase coverages through Aon.)

Save the Date for ARCRA Zoom Video Conference call with SVP, Koby Langley - September 17, 2019 at 1:30 PM Eastern or 10:30 AM Pacific Time

IMPORTANT: New link and number https://zoom.us/j/721187175

The Advocacy & Education Committee is happy to introduce a new tool we hope will provide another means for us to stay in touch. It is the ARCRA Zoom Video Conference. Many of you have participated in WebEx Webinars. The same folks who built it, came together and built Zoom. The difference is, for small users, it is free. And it’s much simpler than WebEx. ARCRA Zoom video conferencing makes it easy for the Association to reach all retirees. If you have a computer, mobile device or a phone, you can join us in educational and perhaps entertaining exchange. For a preview, go to www.Zoom.us. or you can join in your web browser by using these steps:

1. Click the link below to join the meeting.
2. An option Join from your Browser may appear automatically. If it does not, select download & run Zoom.
   
3. The option Join from your Browser will appear.
   
4. You will be prompted to enter your name.
   
5. Click Join to be taken into the meeting.
   

Our inaugural speaker is Koby Langley, JD MPA, Senior vice President International Services and Services to the Armed Forces for American Red Cross. Koby started with Red Cross as SVP for SAF in February, 2015. He was asked to take on the additional responsibilities for International Services and International Humanitarian Law in July, 2018. The video conference will be set up so that Koby will give us an update on American Red Cross generally, then talk about his portfolio of International and SAF. Following his presentation there will be a question and answer session with Koby at which time you can ask any questions you might have for him. If you are shy, there is a chat function so you can write and submit your questions for his response. We hope this ARCRA Zoom video conference will be the first of many informative and fun ways to be in touch with fellow retirees, Red Cross leaders and other folks we can engage in mutually beneficial conversations. If you have questions or suggestions for other subjects, email Harold Brooks, Chair ARCRA Advocacy & Education Committee at harold.brooks@me.com

Time: Sep 17, 2019 1:30 PM Eastern or 10:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join ARCRA Zoom Meeting

IMPORTANT: New link and number https://zoom.us/j/721187175

One tap mobile

408.638.0968,,2977927960# meeting number, US (San Jose)

669.900.6833,,2977927960# meeting number, US (San Jose)

If you are unable to log in with a computer you can dial using the numbers above

Students battling sicle cell anemia and childhood cancer depend on blood donations for health and strength this school year. Blood transfused from donors of similar ethnicities helps to prevent sickle cell patients from experiencing complications. Blood and platelet transfusions help children battling cancers to endure tough cancer treatments. Hurricane Dorian has forced the cancellation of approximately 70 Red Cross blood drives, resulting in more than 1,800 uncollected blood and platelet donations. Please donate blood today.