Tasha Kloesel

Tasha Kloesel launched a volunteer project last year that both raised money for victims of Hurricane Katrina and helped people in her area be better prepared for emergencies.

After hearing about a new kind of emergency preparedness campaign in England, Tasha decided to replicate it in her community.  “So many times in emergency situations you only have a few minutes to determine what to do for a victim,” explained Kloesel. “Eight out of 10 people aren’t carrying information that would help if they were involved in an accident.”

So Kloesel designed and printed “In Case of Emergency” (ICE) cards that people can carry with them after recording information such as blood type, allergies, medical conditions and whom to contact in an emergency. 

The cards also encourage recipients to program their emergency contact phone numbers into their cell phones under the acronym “ICE” so emergency responders can reach them quickly if necessary.   

Kloesel recruited a group of friends to help her distribute her cards for free in front of local stores, but, just as she was getting started, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, so she collected donations for storm victims at the same time. 

While handing out 2,500 cards, she managed to collect more than $1,000 for Katrina relief efforts conducted by the Salvation Army and Noah’s Wish, as well as clothing, hygiene products and other items for victims. 

"I feel happy and proud about being able to help others in need and to provide the ICE card for my community," she said.