From press release:

The American Red Cross, Greater Richmond Chapter is offering free
CPR/AED classes to the unemployed in the Greater Richmond area.
Interested people can register by calling 343-2088 during the week of
June 1-7, National CPR/AED Awareness Week. The training can be conducted
on-line followed by a one-on-one two hour session with a Red Cross
instructor.

“The Red Cross helps during all types of crisis and being unemployed is
definitely a crisis,” stated Reggie Gordon, Chapter CEO. “Becoming Red
Cross certified can make people more qualified when searching for jobs,
especially in the fields of construction and healthcare. For example,
OSHA requires construction workers to be trained in CPR and First Aid.
If one is already trained, they will be more marketable. Being
unemployed can take its toll emotionally and completing a Red Cross
class can help give one a sense of accomplishment.”

Learning CPR and use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) may
mean the difference between life and death. “We’d like to see every
household, place of work or worship, have at least one person certified
in CPR/AED and to have more AED in locations throughout our area,”
continued Gordon. “By learning basic skills one will go from being a
helpless bystander to trained, empowered and prepared to take action
during an emergency.”

“Imagine two jumbo jets crashing and killing all on board. That’s about
how many people nationwide that die every day from sudden cardiac
arrest. Now, imagine a safe and simple device about the size of a
lunchbox and price of a laptop that may have saved many of those lives.
That’s the power of the AED,” according to Gordon.

During CPR/AED Awareness Week the chapter is also launching an on-line
training program for businesses or individuals. Red Cross Online
Training offers lifesaving training from the convenience of a computer
then enhanced by hands-on skills review and certification testing with a
Red Cross instructor.

For more information about the classes, go to
www.greaterrichmond.redcross.org