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8 | OHCC LIVING | NOVEMBER 2023 | By Tom Porter, President Thanksgiving Day holiday is quickly approaching, and I want to take this opportunity to thank all our SERT Club members for their continuing support. Our membership is approaching 360 and we have 21 Lifetime members. We want to thank the other social clubs and individuals that have donated money to support SERT's efforts to be prepared in case of a natural disaster. This year we have purchased numerous first-aid related equipment and supplies. SERT now offers the American Red Cross blended learning class in Adult First Aid/CPR/AED on the second Wednesday of each month in the Clubhouse. Any person living in OHCC can attend. You must register to attend this class at arc.ohccsert@gmail.com. For more information visit the SERT Club Website at https://www.ohccsert. com/red-cross-courses. We have a core group of volunteers that keep SERT moving forward. During the October Annual Club meeting, you re-elected me for a second term as President; John Slayton – Vice President; and Jill Lemons to her third term as club Secretary. You also elected Sandy Reinhardt as Treasurer, and the Board appointed Ellen Baur as a Director. Open Board positions: Director of Communications (website and publication oversite) Director of Education (Coordination of American Red Cross Training, Emergency Response Team certification) We added eight new Emergency Response Team (ERT) members in 2023, that include Command Staff, Leadership, First Aid, and Tactical members. These new members along with the existing ERT members will stand as OHCC's "first responders" until State, County, and City emergency personnel can arrive. The Neighbor-Helping-Neighbor program continues to evolve with about 50 members serving as Safety Coordinators. This past year we learned that residents preferred informal neighbor street events so they can directly connect with their neighbors and form a "buddy system" to share information that may be critical in an emergency. If you can host a street gathering, please contact Annie Gandomi. The Family Care Givers program continues to grow in popularity. It is amazing how quickly a loved one's health can diminish, and their partner or family member are thrown into the role of "caregiver" for which they have no experience. This group meets the third Thursday of every month in the Clubhouse from 7 to 8 pm. The group is open to all SERT members and to first time OHCC guests to share their stories and experiences. Again, thank you all for your support of SERT. Please stay safe out there! SERT anks You