To: {Contact_FullName} {MemberField_You_Are_A_Lifetime_Member}

{ContactField_Membership_type} {Member_Level} Renewal Date {Member_Upcoming_Renewal_Date}

At Coce Rossa Italian, more than 300 Italian Red Cross volunteers had the chance to participate in the Olympic Torch Relay during the Flame's journey to the Milano Cortina games.

In our winter issue, ARCAN spotlights lifesaving Red Cross CPR and First Aid - from an alumni life saved and the heroes who used their training to save him, to the gift of Red Cross training for our members. Webinars tackle the balance of neutrality in our current culture of conflict, plus AI and other help navigating today's turbulent career waters. You'll also meet the new expanded ARCAN leadership team and learn ways you can participate. Happy reading!

Issue 11, ARCAN News - Winter 2026  (now published quarterly)

ISSUE AT-A-GLANCE

President's Corner

I’d like to start with a big shout: SPRING IS AROUND THE CORNER! After the wild weather many of us have experienced these past few months, that feels especially good to say.

I also want to take this opportunity to share our plans for 2026 and respond to several questions that have come up over the past year. If I had to summarize our primary focus for this year in four words, it would be:

GROWTH IN OUR MEMBERSHIP

But before we look ahead, let’s take a moment to reflect on what we’ve accomplished over the past 20 months. Together, we have:

• Transitioned from ARCRA to ARCAN
  
• Filed the necessary legal paperwork and confirmed ARCAN as a 501(c)(4) membership organization
  

• Developed a new vision, mission and logo
  
• Refreshed and redesigned our website
  
• Promoted and continued support to the Retiree Helpline and its dedicated volunteers
  
• Offered informational and educational webinars at least once per month
  
• Provided virtual gatherings every six months to rally members and invite non-members to see what we're about 
• Established a closer working partnership with National Headquarters
  
• Encouraged members to update their profiles so we can stay connected
  
• Built a strong foundation for ARCAN’s future growth
  

These accomplishments are significant—and they are the result of your engagement and commitment.

Here Are Frequently Asked Questions I want to address:

Q1: How many members are in ARCAN?
Currently, we have:

• 418 Active Annual Members
  
• 574 Lifetime Members
  
• 341 Members in various stages of renewal
  

Q2: What is ARCAN’s annual budget?
Our annual budget is $27,967. Approximately 75% supports contractors (600 hours annually) who:

• Respond to member emails
  
• Maintain the website
  
• Produce the newsletter and email notices
  
• Manage social media channels
  
• Support webinars
  
• Deposit financial donations
  
• Assist with accounting
  
• Support board committees
  

Q3: Does the National American Red Cross financially support ARCAN?
Yes. National Headquarters provides $5,000 annually to support technology expenses and maintain the Retiree Helpline. We hope that support will grow in the future to support the amazing network of Red Crossers who are part of ARCAN.

Q4: How many calls does the Retiree Helpline receive?
Last year, we received and replied to 124 inquiries; and over the past five years we received and replied to 1,110 inquiries.

Q5: Why should someone join ARCAN?
To experience connection and community.
To continue learning.
To grow professionally.
To serve and give back to the mission we love.

How Will We Achieve Growth?

You elected a talented and dedicated 19-member Board of Directors. The Board has adopted a two-year business plan through December 2027 focused on sustainability and expansion. Our strategy includes:

• Social media outreach to past and present employees and volunteers
  
• Strengthening our partnership with National Headquarters (Executive Sponsor: Vice President of Volunteer Services)
  
• Member levels and benefits including offering free CPR and First Aid training for ARCAN members, and discounts through PerkSpot
  
• Encouraging member engagement through committees:
  
• Membership
• Communication & Marketing
• Programs & Services
• Development
• Nominating
• Affinity Groups

But most importantly: we need each and every one of you to be part of growing this community – to recruit one new member, get involved and consider making a donation.

Since June 2024, when we transitioned to an alumni network, 244 new members have joined ARCAN. We are deeply grateful for your recruitment efforts and ongoing support. Continued growth will allow us to sustain our current services and expand new offerings—supporting alumni connections and interactions, increasing lifesaving training opportunities, offering guidance to retirees and more.

ARCAN is a living alumni community—built by and for Red Cross people. 

Thank you for being part of it.

Becky

ARCAN NEWS

Welcome to All New Members!

Since our last report in September, we have added 41 new ARCAN members. If you’re new to ARCAN, Welcome! We hope you’re enjoying all that the community has to offer, including ARCAN's exclusive benefits, from the Member Directory to Alumni Stories and Events. Be sure to join and enjoy the lively conversations on our private Facebook group; and follow our LinkedIn and Facebook pages. A full list of member benefits can be found on the ARCAN website: redcrossalumni.org.

Be sure to reach out and say hello to our new members: 

Committee Volunteers Needed

As membership and programs expand we need more brilliant and enthusiastic volunteers to serve on our leadership committees. See committees/chairs here. If anyone has an interest in serving on a committee, please email us at info@redcrossalumni.org. 

Joyce’s more than 68 years of Red Cross service – 48 as a volunteer and 20 as career staff – also includes Junior Red Cross training and certification as a First Aid and CPR instructor, service on the Melrose, Mass. Chapter’s board of directors and development of babysitter course materials.

Norm was a Red Cross trained lifeguard and an instructor until he was hired in 1965 as director of Safety Services of the Seattle-King County Chapter where he supported the expansion of Health and Safety Services to include CPR, Youth Services and HIV/AIDS education. 

Both have earned Certificates of Merit for lifesaving efforts.

Norm and Joyce Bottenberg: A couple with 136 years of service

By ARCAN member and author, Marianne Spampinato

Nearly seven decades ago, Norm and Joyce Bottenberg began their American Red Cross service on opposite sides of our country. Together their combined 136 years of service – 68 years each – almost equal that of our organization to our country. 

While 8-year-old Joyce knitted lap robes for a veteran’s home in Bedford, Massachusetts, teenager Norm took a Red Cross Lifesaving course and worked as a lifeguard and swimming instructor in Seattle, Washington. 

One Red Crosser Saves Another

“Three colleagues did CPR on me that morning…I’m very lucky to be alive. It was so close.”  – Terry Feheley

“A lot of people are afraid to do CPR – afraid of hurting the person they are helping. My thought was ‘I’m going to sustain life until someone arrives that can bring him back.”  – Chrisi Rogers

Terry’s Story

We caught up with former Red Cross NHQ communicator, Terry Feheley, now living in Binghamton, New York, to hear about his Red Cross hero who performed CPR until help arrived one morning at Red Cross national headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Terry recalled, “Three colleagues did CPR on me that morning in February 2011. Gosh, it’s been almost 15 years. “Two of the women left the Red Cross years ago, but Chrisi Rogers still works in Human Resources. She and I have kept in touch since I moved home to upstate New York. 

“I don’t remember much about that week. My cardiac arrest happened early Monday morning in the first floor lobby of the 18th Street building. I was walking over to the cafeteria in the E Street building to get some coffee and passed out. The security guard at the front desk at 18th Street heard me whack my head on one of the heavy brass doors and sounded the alarm. 

Read more here

Update:  ARCAN 2025-2026 Membership Drive

Thank you to members who have already encouraged former and current Red Cross staff and volunteers to join ARCAN during the launch of our 2025-2026 Membership Drive. The campaign continues! Please consider:

• Posting a note on your social media sharing why you joined or a story about how you have reconnected with Red Cross colleagues through ARCAN.
  
• Emailing or posting to social media a link to the ARCAN website so friends can explore what we have to offer: redcrossalumni.org
  
•  Inviting current members to join 1.1K others on our Facebook group and members and non-members to join our LinkedIn page and Facebook page.
  

Encourage them to Join as an official Member for $30, or a Premier Member for $100 at this link: redcrossalumni.org/join-us

American Red Cross Virtual First Aid and CPR Training Offered FREE To ARCAN Members Through June 3

The American Red Cross has generously gifted their Until Help Arrives online First Aid and CPR training FREE through June 3, 2026 exclusively to ARCAN members! 

The course, developed in collaboration with the American College of Emergency Physicians, will educate and empower you to take action and provide lifesaving care when you are the first on the scene – at home and away. It is a non-certification online course and provides basic, yet critical key actions that can be taken during a life-threatening emergency that can help sustain or save a life until EMS arrives. 

You can access the course via RedCross.org -- find the coupon code, link to Red Cross classes, and step-by-step instructions for ARCAN members here. It's also available via the ARCAN Member Benefits page. The code is a gift for ARCAN members only and not intended to be transferable to non-members.

Dave Denton, A Leader in Generosity

Last fall we said goodbye to our dear friend and colleague Dave Denton. We recently learned that his generosity continues beyond his time here with us, and we are so grateful. 

“We all know what a big supporter my dad was of the American Red Cross”, said ARCAN board member Neal Denton. “He also supported the American Red Cross Retirees Association and ARCAN, so much so that he left ARCAN in his will. We’re extremely proud of the legacy and memories he left in the hearts and minds of his Red Cross colleagues, and that his gift will support ARCAN’s efforts to keep us all connected in the years to come.”

Learn how to leave a gift from your estate for the American Red Cross Alumni Network, the American Red Cross or another nonprofit by consulting with your financial advisor or lawyer.

Past Presidents of ARCAN and ARCRA

Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period

January 1 through March 31 is the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (for those already in a Medicare Advantage plan to switch or return to Original Medicare). If your current plan is being discontinued, you’ll receive a non-renewal notice and must choose a new plan during this window.

Important 2026 Tax Dates To Know

By Don Retallick

Tax season for 2025 returns is officially underway, and staying aware of key deadlines can help retirees avoid unnecessary stress or penalties. Below is a snapshot of important tax dates for 2026, timing for common tax documents and a few reminders that are especially relevant in retirement.

Important Tax Deadlines for 2026:

April 15, 2026 – Tax Day. This is the deadline to file your 2025 federal and state income tax returns or submit a request for an extension. (It falls on a Wednesday this year.)

October 15, 2026 – Final filing deadline for anyone who requested an extension.

Important Tax Reminders for Retirees:

Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs): If you are subject to RMDs, confirm that all required withdrawals were taken by December 31, 2025, as missed or incorrect amounts can result in penalties.

Social Security Taxation: Depending on your total income, up to 85% of Social Security benefits may be taxable.* Reviewing income sources ahead of filing can help avoid surprises. 

Read the full article 

Remembering Red Cross Colleagues

We’re sharing the NHQ list of Red Cross pensioners who passed in the 4^th quarter of 2025. None were ARCAN members but we thought you would want to know of their passing. We send In Memoriam emails to ARCAN members following the deaths of ARCAN members, and appreciate members sending us names of their former colleagues who they learn have passed. You can find past In Memoriam announcements in your email box by searching for the subject line, Remembering…

• Barry Hall, Tacoma, Washington
  
• Billy Baxter, Pelham , Alabama
  
• Brady  Kiel, Coffeeville, Alabama
  
• David  Mezoff, Brockton Maine 
  
• Helen  Tochen, Camas, Washington
  
• Ismail  Valles, Dayton, Ohio
  
• Karen Woodward, Lawton, Oklahoma
  
• Kenneth Anders, Winter Garden, Florida
  
• Liina Arens, Lake Balboa, California
  
• Michael Roberson, Oak Park, Michigan
  
• Patricia Goodale, Hendersonville, North Carolina
  

Data collection is not comprehensive on our beloved Red Cross colleagues who have passed. 

EVENTS

Upcoming Webinars  

February 18, 12:30 p.m. ET

Supporting Each Other During These Trying Times

Anjana Dayal de Prewitt, moderated by Jono Anzalone

Internationally renowned psycho-social expert Anjana Dayal de Prewitt will provide reflections and tools on how Red Crossers can navigate some of today's toughest humanitarian challenges. The webinar will build off of the February 4 webinar hosted by Jono Anzalone on International Humanitarian Law and the Fundamental Principles. Jono will facilitate. 

See ARCAN’s events web page to register and to view Anjana’s bio,

March 26, 2026 - Noon ET

Beyond the Hype: AI, Careers, and the Skills That Matter Most

Cynthia Gutierrez-White, facilitated by Roger Lowe

Artificial intelligence, economic factors and political changes have disrupted the job market over the past 18 months. Former Red Crosser Cynthia Gutierrez-White, author of Redefined, will talk about the skills and approaches needed to navigate these turbulent careers waters.

Roger Lowe, ARCAN board member, will moderate and ask her questions, then they will open it up for audience questions.  

Details and Registration here

Past Webinar and Event Recordings Available

February 4 Webinar - Jono Anzalone 

Abridged IHL Session in Response to Current National Events

In light of recent disturbing national events, Jono Anzalone hosted as some 35 Red Cross alumni came together in a lively discussion focused on our shared grounding—our history, our principles, and how we CAN stand up for good.

January 28 Webinar - Cassandra Wagner

About 'Until Help Arrives' Training 

Cassandra Wagner presented an overview of the Red Cross’s Until Help Arrives course and specifics about how ARCAN members can participate free, with an exclusive coupon covering the $40 fee. 

Past Webinars Recordings

International Humanitarian Law 

We're happy to connect you with a variety of IHL discussions and classes. 

Upcoming IHL webinars hosted by the National team can be found on the Red Cross IHL Events page. Details and registration for other IHL offerings are updated on the ARCAN Events webpage.

ARCAN Affinity Groups Updates 

So Cal Group Lead Transition and Upcoming Luncheon Meetings 

The So Cal ARCAN has a new chair – David Morikawa replaced outgoing chair Bill Dutton on January 1. The group holds two luncheon meetings a year, in the spring and fall. The spring meeting will be held on April 14 at the San Antonio Winery, which has operated near downtown Los Angeles since 1917. 

Their autumn meeting, which includes the election of officers, will be held on October 13 at a location still to be determined. Plans are still in development for both luncheon meetings. Inquiries may be sent to Marlene Zweig at justcallmz@aol.com.

Greater DC & Baltimore ARCAN Spring Luncheon Meeting 

The Greater DC & Baltimore ARCAN Group is organizing a luncheon meeting this spring. Watch for more details soon.

Thank you to all ARCAN affinity groups for sharing updates with us. Any member may form an affinity group, whether it be based on geography, line of service or another topic that pulls ARCAN members together to connect.

ARCAN Member & Guest Community Agreement

All ARCAN members and guests attending our webinars and other events are asked to abide by the ARCAN Member & Guest Community Agreement. The code of conduct outlines the ARCAN Community Purpose & Spirit, our Principles of Decorum & Engagement and the Commitments of our organization. The agreement is found on the website's About page, and linked in the site's footer, at the bottom of every page. 

RED CROSS NEWS

   Click photo to see video

“What’s old is new again! Glad to see ARC getting back to its neighborhood and community organizing roots. This is great to see!” – ARCAN board member Scott Emerson

New Red Cross Video: Understanding Community Mobilization

Red Cross has created a new community mobilization video that ARCAN members will want to see. It brings together stories from across the Red Cross to explore what community mobilization is, why it matters and how it shapes the future we’re building together. At its core, community mobilization means working alongside communities—partnering locally, sharing responsibility and strengthening local capacity—with the Red Cross as a trusted partner. This 30-minute video is worth watching.

The Heartbeat of Hope: Celebrating 100 Years of Heritage and Humanitarianism

As America celebrates 100 years of Black history, the American Red Cross honors the dream-builders and culture shifters whose innovation, courage, and service continue to power our mission and inspire us to reimagine humanitarianism.

Since the organization's founding in 1881, African American changemakers have forged new paths in mission delivery, innovation and community care. From iconic to unsung Red Crossers, whose unwavering commitment revolutionized how we serve, we celebrate their remarkable stories and essential impact on society. Their legacy lives on in every life we touch, every community we serve, and every barrier we continue to break.

Susie King Taylor overcame enslavement to pioneer change as the first Black army nurse during the Civil War, and later as an educator and author. She served alongside future American Red Cross founder Clara Barton, caring for sick and wounded soldiers as a volunteer with the Union military. After the war, she opened schools for African Americans in Savannah and Midway, Georgia, and became the first Black woman to publish a memoir of her Civil War experiences. 

See more African American Red Cross changemakers here on RedCross.org. 

Step up to give. Rebuild the blood supply. Get a $20 Gift Card.

The American Red Cross urges people to act now to help offset the severe impact of recent winter storms on efforts to rebuild the blood supply during an ongoing blood shortage. 

The Red Cross continues to face a severe blood shortage, and dangerous winter weather is now compounding the serious shortfall in lifesaving blood products. Over 500 blood drives have been canceled since the beginning of the year, resulting in more than 20,000 uncollected blood and platelet donations. 

All who come to give Jan. 26-Feb. 28, 2026, will receive a $20 e-gift card to a merchant of choice.See RedCrossBlood.org/Heart for details.

ARCAN Board Vice President Jono Anzalone recently rolled up his sleeve to give. He posted the photo above on the ARCAN LinkedIn feed with this note:

“Today I rolled up my sleeve and donated blood for the first time in 30 years. I had avoided it for decades because of a simple, very human reason: a fear of needles. It sounds small, but it stuck with me longer than I’d like to admit. But the American Red Cross of Northern New England announced a severe blood shortage. Hospital demand is outpacing supply, and inventory has dropped roughly 35% in just the past month."

Donors of all blood types are asked to make a blood or platelet donation appointment as soon as possible.

The American Red Cross has celebrated March as Red Cross Month for 83 Years

Whether you donate funds, donate blood or volunteer, the Red Cross depends on your support to make a difference in communities across the country.

Each year, the President of the United States proclaims March as "Red Cross Month,” giving us an opportunity to honor and celebrate the everyday heroes who help us fulfill our mission.

The tradition of March being declared Red Cross Month began in 1943 with a proclamation from President Franklin D. Roosevelt and for 83 years, all U.S. presidents have designated this month. This March, the Red Cross will recognize all those who have answered the call to help others under our Red Cross emblem that continues to stand for help and hope during the most challenging of times.

OTHER NEWS

The Best Meal-Delivery Services for 2026

Getting a meal delivered to your door—whether it’s a kit that you assemble or a ready-to-eat package—has become part of everyday American life. But if you’re new to meal delivery or just looking to diversify, you may wonder which subscription service is best for you. 

Is there a difference between the best meal-kit delivery service versus the best prepared-meal delivery service? What about the best meal-delivery service for weight loss…or for families or singles…or best healthy-meal delivery service?

Bottom Line Personal turned to Molly Morgan, RD, nutritionist and founder of Creative Nutrition Solutions…

Read the Full Story on ARCAN's Retirement Resources' Wellness Blog 

Use PerkSpot to get good deals and discounts as part of your ARCAN benefits

To get started using PerkSpot, sign up or sign in at PerkSpot for discounts on delivered meals and meal kits, travel, home goods and more. When you're on the Red Cross PerkSpot site, click "Create An Account" to sign up. It only takes a minute to get access to thousands of discounts and deals you can't find anywhere else! You can use your personal or Red Cross email when signing up. Please keep in mind that PerkSpot is a separate log-in from your Red Cross account. If you need further assistance, please email cs@perkspot.com.

American Red Cross Alumni Network

PO BOX 21004  | Washington, DC 20009
E-mail: info@redcrossalumni.org | Tel: 202.303.8779

Website: RedCrossAlumni.org