Marine Corps Base Quantico -- Quantico children who attended summer camp at the Quantico Youth Center Aug. 8 might see themselves in a Disney video.
It’s not a cartoon or show for the Disney channel, but a video highlighting Disney’s partnership with the American Red Cross (ARC) and its support of the ARC’s Pillowcase Project, an emergency preparedness education session for children.
The Pillowcase Project has been presented to more than 500,000 students nationwide. During the sessions, which are facilitated by volunteers, children learn about natural disasters that could impact their areas, practice coping skills, and receive pillowcases to take home and fill with a personal emergency supply kit.
ARC volunteers brought the Pillowcase Project to the Quantico Youth Center Aug. 8 and the session was filmed for Disney’s promotional purposes. The National Capital Region of the ARC was selected along with three other regions to provide footage for the video.
“Ooh, are we on TV?” asked one child upon entering the classroom at the Youth Center and seeing the camera crew.
Marine Corps Family Team Building (MCFTB) worked with the Red Cross to bring the program to Quantico.
“MCFTB has been offering emergency preparedness workshops to adults since 2008, and was asked by Ms. Joey Miranda, director of youth programs, to provide emergency preparedness as one of the workshops in the summer camp series of workshops,” said Joyce Murphy, MCFTB director. “This is the first year that the Red Cross has brought this workshop to Quantico.”
The workshop gave Quantico children a jump start on National Preparedness Month, which has been observed each September since 2004. September marks the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the U.S. as well as being the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season. During the month, Americans are encouraged to take steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, schools, businesses, and communities.
A 2009 Citizen Corps National Survey found that only 57 percent of Americans surveyed reported having supplies set aside in case of disaster and only 44 percent have a household emergency plan.
The Pillowcase Project originated in New Orleans and was inspired by the story of college students carrying their belongings in pillowcases during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The workshop’s curriculum is based on three core principles: learn, practice, and share.
During the “learn” portion, children looked at a hazards map of the country to determine what emergency to prepare for in this area.
“Since in Virginia we’re by the ocean, sometimes hurricanes happen,” ARC volunteer John Miller explained to the students. “A hurricane is a storm that comes from the ocean.”
He said that hurricanes bring strong winds and sometimes flooding from a storm surge.
“Don’t worry, no sharks will come in with the hurricane,” he added, addressing one child’s concern.
For the “practice” portion, volunteer Giselle Gamero led the kids in breathing exercises they could use to cope during stressful emergency situations. And Marco Johnson talked to the students about practicing escaping from their homes in case of fire.
“Two minutes is how quickly smoke from a fire can hurt you, so you should practice how to get outside to safe place in two minutes,” he said. “In case of fire, ‘get low, go!’”
The children were given Preparedness Workbooks to take home. The workbooks contain space to draw a home fire escape map, determine an outside family meeting spot, list important emergency contacts, and maintain a checklist of emergency supplies. And they were given pillowcases to take home and fill with an emergency supply kit.
The ARC suggests keeping the following items in pillowcase kits: a bottle of water, soap, a flashlight, a special toy, a change of clothes, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a portable radio, paper and pen, a blanket, a first aid kit, extra batteries, family photos, and a zip drive containing copies of important documents.
Writer: auphausconner@quanticosentryonline.com
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