How to help those impacted by Goshen tornado

Updated: 11:37 PM EDT Jul 8, 2022

Crews are continuing to assess damage in Goshen, Ohio and surrounding communities where powerful storms and an EF2 tornado hit on Wednesday.The National Weather Service confirmed an EF2 tornado touched down in Goshen during Wednesday's storms.Goshen Township administrator Steve Pegram said it will be days before power is fully restored.Pegram estimates there are around 150 to 200 structures that they know are damaged. Some of the hardest-hit buildings include the police station, fire station and schools."We're lucky, we're very blessed, it could have been a lot, lot worse," Pegram said.Those looking to help clean up can volunteer Saturday and Sunday to help residents clean up their properties and remove debris. To volunteer, call the hotline number 513-735-8500.For those wanting to help donate, Goshen Township officials have set up donation drop off locations and supply drives.The Clermont County EMA is organizing a volunteer drive to help out Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. Anyone interested in participating is asked to contact them directly. Several businesses in New Richmond joined together to gather donations for displaced victims. “We’re a small town with a big heart so I knew our response would be good. We started getting people before they even started getting off work and they have continued since," owner of Green Kayak, Rebecca Vaske said. "We’ve had toys brought for kids obviously something to entertain them with everything going on."Other businesses like Skippers River Cafe & Marina are taking collecting clothes donations. "Any range, any size, any age. Its all going to go to Matthew 25 Ministries in Goshen and they are going to sort everything for us," manager Josie Buckingham said. The Red Cross has setup an emergency shelter at Goshen High School. The shelter will be open through the weekend and is located at 6707 Goshen Road. Lowe’s associates from nearby stores in Milford, Beachmont and Mason delivered totes with cleanup supplies and personal necessities on Friday. SUPPLY DRIVE HEART CHURCHPeople can drop of donations at Heart Church at 989 Lila Avenue Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Items needed include fast food, grocery gift cards in $10 increments, trash bags, cleaning supplies, non-perishable food.SUPPLY DRIVE GOSHEN HIGH SCHOOLFood, water and pet food donations can be dropped off at Goshen High School at 6707 Goshen Road. The high school has been turned into an emergency shelter for those impacted.Officials said they have a lot of donations at the shelter already but will accept and food and water drop offs. There has also been an emergency hotline number set up for those looking for ways to donate, the number is 513-735-8500.MATTHEW 25 MINISTRIESMatthew 25 Ministries will be delivering items to those in need, including personal care supplies, paper products, cleaning supplies, first aid, etc. They are requesting donations of the following items to bring to those in Goshen:Monetary donations: Donate online or mail checks to Matthew 25: Ministries, 11060 Kenwood Road, Blue Ash, OH 45242 (100% of donated funds designated for Goshen, Ohio Tornado 2022 will be used for the purpose intended).Product donationsCases of bottled water: 12 and 24 countPersonal care products: Antibacterial soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, body wash, deodorant, lotion, etc.Cleaning supplies: Laundry detergents, general cleaner, sponges, bleach (powdered form is preferred), mops, scrub brushes, buckets, rubber gloves, etc.Paper products: Toilet paper, paper towels, etc.Baby and infant supplies: Diapers, wipes, diaper rash ointment, baby wash, baby shampoo, baby lotion, etc.First-aid items: Bandages, gauze, pads, first aid tape, antiseptic creams, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, latex gloves, instant cold packs, etc.New, in original packaging: Power tools, fans, generators, etc.LOVELAND SUPPLY DRIVETwo Loveland High School students are collection donation to bring to those in Goshen. Donations of food and water can be dropped off at 10100 Sleepy Ridge Drive.SIMMS FURNITURE DONATION DRIVESimms Furniture is accepting donations for Goshen residents who were impacted by storm damage. The company is asking for donations to be dropped off at their Eastgate location. Items needed are: water bottles, diapers, baby formula, personal hygiene items, non-perishable foods, cleaning supplies, roofing/building supplies, household items. Grocery and gas gift cards. Items can be dropped off at 4468 Eastgate Blvd or call 513-725-0999. PAXTON AND RAMSEY'SPaxton and Ramsey's in downtown Cincinnati will host a fundraiser for tornado victims in Loveland on Monday. 20% of all sales on Monday, July 11 will go towards victim relief, the company said. Crossroads Church East Side is offering child care for parents, caregivers impacted by Wednesday's tornadoes, storms. has multiple efforts happening to support local families impacted by Wednesday’s storms.Childcare will be available at the church at 4450 Eastgate S Drive for children birth through fifth grade 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, July 9. The church will also be taking donations from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, July 9, or during services (9:15 a.m. and 11 a.m.) on Sunday, July 10.Items needed:Boxed juiceBottled water, Gatorade, or electrolyte drinksGranola, Cereal, Nutrigrain BarsIndividual cereal boxes or bowls Individual tuna w/ crackers or chicken salad with crackersCanned fruitCanned vegetablesApplesauce pouchesCheese & crackers or Peanut butter crackersBags of snacks Cleaning suppliesPersonal hygiene products

The Red Cross says it was the victim of a sophisticated cyber security attack.

The organization says the attack, which was detected this week, compromised the personal data and confidential information of more than 515,000 "highly vulnerable people."

Those people include families separated due to conflict, migration and disaster, the organization says. Information about missing persons and people in detention was also jeopardized, according to the Red Cross.

"We are all appalled and perplexed that this humanitarian information would be targeted and compromised," said Robert Mardini, International Committee of the Red Cross' director-general. "This cyber-attack puts vulnerable people, those already in need of humanitarian services, at further risk."

The organization says it doesn't know who carried out the attack, which targeted a company in Switzerland that is contracted to store data for the Red Cross.

Mardini is asking the cybercriminals to spare the vulnerable people whose information was compromised.

"Please do the right thing. Do not share, sell, leak or otherwise use this data," he said.

He added that the Red Cross is working to understand the scope of the attack and take actions to protect against future security breaches.

If you've ever considered donating blood, now is the time to take action.

Blood donations are absolutely critical right now as the United States faces the worst blood shortage in over a decade, according to the American Red Cross website.

Know your blood type? Type O-positive, Type O-negative and platelets are in the most need right now, the organization said.

The Red Cross, which supplies 40% of the country's blood supply, has seen a 10% decrease in donations since March 2020.

Blood donations are needed for all types of patients such as trauma victims and cancer patients, according to Jessica Merrill, director of biomedical communications for the American Red Cross.

"I know of a teenage cancer patient in New York who recently had to go without a scheduled transfusion due to the lack of available blood," Merrill said. "Imagine how hard it is for a parent to take their sick child home without the treatment they need to feel better."

Many factors are causing the shortage, including canceled blood drives due to illness and staffing limitations, and an active flu season. Weather-related closures have also prevented some blood drives from taking place.

A surge in COVID-19 cases could have also contributed to the ongoing shortage, according to the Red Cross.

Additionally, there has been a 62% drop in college and high school blood drives during the pandemic. These drives made up 25% of donors in 2019 and now account for a mere 10%.

Blood donations are perishable

Blood can't be stockpiled, and the Red Cross has less than a one-day supply of critical blood types.

Red blood cells have a shelf life of 42 days while platelets have a shelf life of five days, according to the Red Cross.

"The demand for blood never goes away because it's got a shelf life, and we're constantly having to replenish," said Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer of the American Red Cross.

There are eight primary blood types, and humans can only receive certain types of blood that are compatible with their own. If they receive incompatible blood, their body will reject it and they could potentially die. The one exception is Type O-negative blood, which is compatible with all other blood types.

COVID-19 and the flu

If you are sick with COVID-19, the flu or another illness, the Red Cross asks that you do not donate blood at this time.

Fully recovered COVID-19 patients are welcome to donate blood, according to Young. This means the blood donor must be in good health and at least 14 days outside of their last day of COVID-19 symptoms, she explained.

Donors with a fever or cough that brings up phlegm are asked not to donate until 24 hours after their symptoms go away. If you're taking an antibiotic treatment for sinus, throat or lung infection, you must wait until you are finished with the treatment.

People who have received the COVID-19 vaccine are eligible to donate blood, Merrill said.

You need to wait at least eight weeks between standard whole blood donations, seven days between platelet donations and 16 weeks between automated Power Red donations, which prioritize extracting red blood cells.

Not sure about your blood type?

You can find out by donating blood or getting it drawn at a doctor's office. There are at-home testing options available for purchase online, either with finger-pricking or saliva-based testing. It is not necessary to know your blood type to donate blood.

If you're not eligible to donate, you can volunteer at a blood drive as a blood donor ambassador or a transportation specialist.

University of Wisconsin basketball senior Chris Vogt went to bed early Friday night to prepare for the team's game in Columbus, Ohio.

He woke up to heartbreak.

"I woke up Saturday morning to a text from a former coach... and all it said was 'Are your parents okay?' And I had no idea what he was talking about," said Vogt.

He told sister station WISN his first thought was that his parents were in a car accident on their way to Ohio from Mayfield, Kentucky, his hometown.

“My heart was kind of racing, I started to look for stuff that possibly could have happened and that’s when I started seeing the news about the tornado," he explained. "And I see all the pictures, all the videos and I was kind of just in awe.”

Mayfield was in shambles following devastating, deadly tornadoes that ripped through parts of the Midwest and the southeastern U.S.

His parents are OK and were already in Ohio when the storms back at home hit.

Vogt said his small town of about 10,000 people is close-knit.

“It’s just kind of like a classic small town. I loved growing up there," he said. “It was heartbreaking... Being able to pick out landmarks and stuff in the video and knowing how they should look, and seeing them completely dismembered is really tough to see.”

Vogt texted everyone he could to check in before taking the court.

He put up seven points against the Buckeyes to help his team. After the game, though, he knew he needed to help his hometown.

He set up a GoFundMe account to raise funds for relief efforts.

"Just kind of reading through the comments on each and every donation there's been a lot of 'go Badgers' or 'I love this team, keep up the good work' and so it just means a lot knowing the fanbase has our back," he said.

Vogt plans to split the donations between several recovery efforts including the American Red Cross and Mayfield High School resource offices.

You can also help the relief efforts by donating here.