Monday, July 30, 2018

In Case You Missed It - July 30

LI Red Cross CEO Neela Lockel with award winners and volunteers at the LI Volunteer Recognition Event 
(Photo: Lori Ann Pizzarelli)


Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 303 adults and 62 children following 49 disaster responses. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities (see below).

Last Week in Review

Upcoming Events and Opportunities
  • July 30, 31 & August 1, 3, 6: Red Cross blood drives will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Greater NY Red Cross building located at 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan and other locations. Schedule an appointment to donate today.
  • Nov 4: The American Red Cross Greater New York Region is proud to Run for the Red in November at the TCS New York City Marathon. Come be a part of Team Red Cross and sign up by Thursday, September 13! Space is limited, so secure your spot today! For more information, contact Bob Estremera at NYCmarathon@redcross.org or 212-875-2091.

Monday, July 23, 2018

In Case You Missed It - July 23

Team Red Cross and supporters at Tough Mudder in Long Island (Photo: Vivian Moy)

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 144 adults and 32 children following 44 events/responses. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities (see below).

Last Week in Review


Upcoming Events and Opportunities

  • July 23, 24, 27, 28: Red Cross blood drives will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Greater NY Red Cross building located at 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan and other locations. Schedule an appointment to donate today.
  • July 25: The 2018 Long Island Red Cross Volunteer Recognition: An annual event to acknowledge and thank our amazing volunteers and community partners. 
  • November 4: The American Red Cross Greater New York Region is proud to Run for the Red in November at the TCS New York City Marathon. Come be a part of Team Red Cross! Sign up by Thursday, September 13! Space is limited, so secure your spot today! For more information, contact Bob Estremera at NYCmarathon@redcross.org or 212-875-2091.

Monday, July 16, 2018

In Case You Missed It- July 16


GNY Red Cross CEO Josh Lockwood with IFRC President Francesco Rocca

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 102 adults and 33 children following 36 events/responses. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities (see below).

Last Week in Review

Upcoming Events and Opportunities
  • July 16-23: Red Cross blood drives will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Greater NY Red Cross building located at 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan and other locations. Schedule an appointment to donate today.
  • July 19- 21: Our Blue Sky Summer Camp is open for all Greater New York Red Cross employees, interns, and volunteers. This is an opportunity to meet your fellow team members, gain new skills, hone old ones, and have FUN! A sampling of workshops include: Blue Sky NYC Ops, Excel 101, PA 101, LFO and Cultural Sensitivity. 
  • November 4: The American Red Cross Greater New York Region is proud to Run for the Red in November at the TCS New York City Marathon. Come be a part of Team Red Cross and sign up by Thursday, September 13! Space is limited, so secure your spot today! For more information, contact Bob Estremera at NYCmarathon@redcross.org or 212-875-2091.

Three Questions With…CPR/First Aid Expert and Actress Lipica Shah

“3 Questions With…” is an American Red Cross in Greater New York blog series featuring staff, volunteers, and partners who help carry out our humanitarian mission. Through these short interviews, we hope to shine a light on our different programs and get to know those who make this work possible.

Lipica Shah joined the American Red Cross in Greater New York ten years ago as a part-time, on-call CPR/First Aid instructor. Today, Shah serves as a volunteer instructor and as a CPR and First Aid spokesperson. She is also a full-time actor. As part of her Red Cross career, Shah has done demos on various television programs including The Dr. Oz Show, The Martha Stewart Show, the TODAY Show, Good Day NY (and many more) to share vital life-saving information and encourage viewers to learn CPR and First Aid.

What are a few things everyone should know about CPR/First Aid, even if they can’t make it to a class?

My first thing is that anybody can learn first aid. Anybody can learn CPR. There is no barrier to learning these skills because it’s so easy! And the second thing is, even if you are unable to help directly, there are still things you can do to help someone—calling 911 or meeting the ambulance or just keeping the area safe and preventing people from crowding the person—and there are so many things that you can do. But first aid response sort of relies on a community to recognize that there is a problem and then take action collectively to figure out how to solve it.

What is the most memorable television experience you’ve had promoting CPR/First Aid skills?

They’ve all been so fun. I’ve done so many news segments. There was one I did on the Dr. Oz Show that was particularly fun because it was about kitchen accidents. So they actually built me a prosthetic finger. I had a whole day where I went in and got a mold made of my finger so that I could actually slice a piece of my finger off. And that was obviously traumatic and wonderful, but also a useful demonstration. So that one was really fun for me.

I would say the most meaningful was the most recent Dr. Oz I did, with Bob Harper, one of the personal trainers on The Biggest Loser. He was talking about how he was the most fit person ever and yet he had a heart attack when he was at the gym. Doctors were convinced that if nobody had known had to use an AED, he would have died. So we did this giant AED demonstration with 30 participants and taught them how simple it is to actually use and that if you take a class then you’re certified to use it. And it was really great to have this personal story paired with the training because that really hit home for some people. You never think you’re going to need to use it, but in this case it actually saved someone’s life.


What do you love most about doing demonstrations on-air?

The most exciting part is that I found a way to blend my two worlds. Because I’m definitely an actor first and it was really cool to figure out a way to use those skills in support of the Red Cross’s mission because I’m quite passionate about preparedness, health, and safety, and I feel very strongly that CPR and First Aid are skills that everybody should know and that anybody could be called upon to use at any moment. And that it’s better to know and have this knowledge and never need it than be in a situation where you have no idea what to do. So it was really cool for me to be able to blend these two passions of mine and find a way to use them.

Find a Red Cross CPR or First Aid Class: https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class

Download the free Red Cross First Aid App from iTunes, Google Play, or Amazon Marketplace.

Check out some of Lipica's other segments on The Martha Stewart Show and the TODAY Show.



Thursday, July 5, 2018

After Elmhurst Fire, Queens Woman Finds Help and Resolve


By Brianna Borghi, American Red Cross in Greater New York


In late May of this year, as fire spread through her seventh-floor Elmhurst apartment, Zaydah Abdghull felt helpless watching the home she had lived in for 40 years disappear. In a matter of moments, she found herself homeless.

Abghdull, a longtime private chef, was living alone when the disaster struck. Awoken by her smoke detector at 11:30 P.M., she franticly moved through her apartment trying to determine the source of the fire.

She noticed what appeared to be a flame near the bathroom sink but when she took a closer look, she discovered the entire wall was on fire. Soon after, wearing nothing but her nightgown and slippers, Abghdull evacuated her apartment with the help of firefighters, carefully navigating around broken glass and other debris on her way out.

“I didn’t have anything, anything on me at all,” said Abghdull. “I asked myself, ‘Where I am going to go? What am I going to do?’”

By chance, Abghdull was greeted by longtime friends just inside her seven-story building, who immediately brought her back to their apartment, a few blocks down the street, to stay the night.

Two days later, someone recommended that Abgdhull visit the Red Cross for assistance since she was unable to connect with the organization when they were on scene during the fire.

“I don’t know what would have happened to me without the Red Cross,” said Abgdhull. “They were very comforting. Very comforting.”

The Red Cross helped set Abgdhull up with several nights in a hotel room and gave her a debit card with some money on it for basic necessities to help her get back on her feet.

A few days later, Abghdull returned to the Red Cross, this time to thank those who helped her and to offer her services as a volunteer.

“I have to offer something from me to the Red Cross to show them my gratitude for what they did for me. They’ve all been very, very nice. That’s why I came back here. I said, ‘I’d like to be a volunteer!’”

Abghdull continued: “Wherever it is, the Red Cross is always there. But I never realized how good they are. Extremely good. It’s way beyond beauty what they do!”

Monday, July 2, 2018

In Case You Missed It - July 2

The Greater NY Logistics Team in Long Island (Photo: Ronnie Rigos) 

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 91 adults and 31 children following 37 events/responses. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities (see below).

Last Week in Review

Upcoming Events and Opportunities
  • July 4: Have a happy 4th of July holiday! Be sure to stay cool and stay safe this week by following these tips from the Red Cross.
  • July 5- 9: Red Cross blood drives will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Greater NY Red Cross building located at 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan and other locations. Schedule an appointment to donate today.
  • July 19- 21: Our Blue Sky Summer Camp is open for all Greater New York Red Cross employees, interns, and volunteers. This is an opportunity to meet your fellow team members, gain new skills, hone old ones, and have FUN! A sampling of workshops include: Blue Sky NYC Ops, Excel 101, PA 101, LFO and Cultural Sensitivity.