In Case You Missed It — July 7

Gary Striar, Regional CEO of the Red Cross of Eastern New York, was honored by staff and community members during a retirement parade. (Will Waldron, Times Union)

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 95 adults and 39 children following 34 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below)

Last Week In Review

• On the Fourth of July, Red Cross featured three volunteers’ reflections on their service and traditions.
• To celebrate the release of Hamilton on DisneyPlus, the Red Cross in Greater New York reposted our 2018 Hamilton Parody to promote fire safety. 
• New York State Senator John Brooks and Long Island CEO Neela M. Lockel co-hosted our virtual Emergency Preparedness program. 
• Last Tuesday, the Times Union featured photos of Gary Striar, Regional CEO of the Red Cross of Eastern New York, who was honored by staff and community members during a retirement parade. 
• Senator Anna Kaplan co-hosted a special emergency preparedness presentation for her constituents. 
• CNN Reporter Brooke Baldwin shared her story on how she donated convalescent plasma at a Red Cross site after she recovered from the coronavirus. 
• Red Cross Scientific Advisory Board Member Dr. William D. Ramos shared water safety tips in People Magazine. 

Upcoming Events and Activities

• We are actively recruiting for the following volunteer positions: Blood Donor Screener, Disaster Spiritual Care Team Member, Disability Integration Program Team Member. Apply today at www.redcross.org/volunteer! For more information, please contact recruitmentgny@redcross.org.
• To find a blood drive near you click here.  
• July 8, 15, 22, 29: Pillowcase Project is a virtual online program that teaches children on how to prepare for emergencies. Register for an online session here.  
• July 9, 14, 20, 21, 23, 28: Prepare, Respond, Recover in a free virtual online training about what you and your community can do when natural and man-made disasters strike. Register for an online session here.  
• July 10 at 12:30 p.m.: Join the Red Cross us for a Facebook Live Q&A with Brad Kieserman, our Vice President of Disaster Operations & Logistics, to learn how the Red Cross prepares for hurricanes and how that changes during a pandemic. Submit your questions for Brad in the comments section of this post, and we'll choose a variety of them to ask.