By Christopher Quinn, Communications Volunteer

About 100 mothers and daughters gathered in Atlanta, despite a looming January ice storm, to take a Hands-Only CPR course from the American Red Cross.

“I think it’s really important for us to give back and help others, whatever the need may be,” said National Charity League member Jessica Stiefel, who had daughter Mia, 16, in tow. “It’s also rewarding for the girls to experience the impact they can have on others.”

The league is a nonprofit organization that brings mothers and daughters together to serve local charities across the U.S. and to prepare and involve a coming generation of young women leaders in community service. The league set aside January 24 for its nearly 250 chapters across the U.S. to focus on helping or learning from the Red Cross.

These members both helped and learned from the Georgia Chapter of the Red Cross. They packed comfort kits with soap, shampoo and other personal items and wrote cards of encouragement and thanks to be sent to U.S. soldiers serving in the Middle East. Then they cued up to learn Hands-Only CPR from Red Cross instructor, Saida Karmooshi. Hands-Only CPR foregoes giving mouth-to-mouth assisted breathing to focus on keeping the blood in a victim’s body flowing while waiting for professional emergency responders to arrive.

Karmooshi and her assistants, on their knees with hands clasped together, demonstrated to small circles of women the pumping motion on someone’s chest that is necessary to keep blood flowing in a victim of an ailment such as a heart attack.

She brought smiles and chuckles from the women by singing the chorus of the appropriately named, old disco song, “Staying Alive,” as she leaned into the pumping motion. The timing of that song’s beat is close to the timing of each chest compression someone giving CPR should make, she told them.

Karmooshi was delighted with the heavy turnout of women, despite the rolling gray clouds outside. If more people are exposed to basic training, it’s more likely that one of them will be in a crowd somewhere and ready to respond when a person needs help. CPR training is among the many classes American Red Cross Training Services offers to groups and individuals.

In September, for example, a Washington grandmother trained in CPR by the Red Cross saved the life of her 2-year-old grandson. “When I completed this training, I never thought I would use the skills with my family. I am very thankful and grateful I took this training and glad I was there when (he) stopped breathing," the grandmother later told the Red Cross.

That experience illustrates the importance of knowing CPR in unexpected situations. A goal of the Red Cross is that in any emergency, someone with the training and skills to respond will be nearby and able to help.

Jennifer Thomas, a National Charity League member, said she was glad to see her daughter Paige, 13, get her first exposure to CPR. Jennifer was previously certified and is glad she has not yet had to use her training.

“Knock on wood,” she said.

Thanks to the willingness of the National Charity League and the training provided by Red Cross, many in the crowd that came will be ready, if that day comes.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media. To see a list of the training classes the Red Cross offers, visit  https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class.