Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Always Seeking New Ways to Help Others

by Alessandro Malave, American Red Cross in Greater NY


Natacha Gomez has always found unique ways to give back and help others. She became a Red Cross volunteer this past last July and just three months later, jumped at the opportunity to deploy to Louisiana to help prepare local shelters for the impending landfall of Hurricane Laura.

Originally from Haiti, where she has lived on and off for most of her life, Gomez remembers her parents prioritizing community service at an early age. Recalling some advice she received as a child, she said: “They told me that unless you put yourself in someone else's shoes you cannot help that person.”

No stranger to disaster, the impact of the 2010 Haitian earthquake was deeply personal to Gomez.

“We really felt the impact,” Gomez said. “We’re from the Northern part of Haiti, and friends of mine and family where lost. I don't think I will ever forget them.”

The year before the earthquake, Gomez created a women’s empowerment organization. She, along with her team members, worked to help women recognize their own value, worth and strength. Gomez still serves as an ambassador for the program today.

A trained chef, Gomez has also used her skill and passion for cooking to help others. A year ago, after the Bahamas was devastated by Hurricane Dorian, she joined World Central Kitchen (WCK), a nonprofit (and Red Cross partner) founded by Chef José Andrés (pictured below next to Natacha) that provides meals to disaster survivors around the world. Her role was to cook meals for the large Haitian community on the island that was badly affected by the storm.


“I think that I was showing love by cooking for the kitchen,” Gomez said. She helped prepare 25,000 daily meals for this particularly vulnerable community for several months.

After a second WCK assignment, this time in Southern Texas supporting migrants, Gomez moved to New York. Motivated by the suffering caused by COVID-19, she joined the American Red Cross in Greater NY as a volunteer and quickly took as much training as possible.

“What I should have done in six months I did in one month,” Gomez laughed.

By the time she completed her training to serve as a Disaster Responder, able to manage emergency relief after a local incident in NYC, Hurricane Laura was making its way towards the Gulf Coast. The Red Cross put out a call to volunteers to travel down South to help and Gomez’ desire to put boots on the ground and turn her experience, training and compassion into action led her to raise her hand and deploy, despite COVID-19. She told herself: ‘there is COVID, but these people [impacted by Hurricane Laura] will also have needs.’


In Louisiana, she helped set up shelters for evacuees, some days traveling hundreds of miles between relief sites. On the night of August 23, when the massive storm made landfall, Gomez and her team were sleeping in a church. There was a lot of wind, but luckily, they were not flooded.

After landfall, Gomez and her fellow volunteers worked long days across multiple locations directing people to shelters. They encountered waves of residents every day and worked hard to guide them toward safe locations where they would find relief.

Back in New York after her 8-day deployment, Gomez looks forward to her new volunteer role helping New Yorkers impacted by local disasters.

“It’s the best feeling in the world being able to wake up and help someone else,” Gomez exclaims. “I am grateful every day to be alive.”



Monday, September 28, 2020

In Case You Missed It


Volunteers aid those in need of care at our non-congregate shelter in Spring, TX. 

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 80 adults and 32 children following 39 local disaster responses. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below)

Last Week in Review
Upcoming Events and Activities

Thursday, September 24, 2020

From the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Red Cross to the American Red Cross in Greater NY

Carletha is currently helping wildfire 
evacuees at a hotel in Portland, Oregon

Carletha Woodley-Alves has been a Red Cross volunteer since almost as early as she can remember. When she was a young girl living in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a small Caribbean nation, she joined the local Red Cross as part of an elementary school program. She continued on with the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Red Cross Society through the rest of her childhood and part of her early adulthood. She moved to Brooklyn in 2001 and joined the American Red Cross in Greater NY a few weeks later.

A few weeks ago, when the Red Cross put out a call for volunteers to deploy to the devastating wildfires out West, she put her thoughts about COVID-19 aside. As she said:

“I think about the people who need help even though it’s in the middle of a pandemic. We need to get them the help and support their needs. I decided that I’m not going to let the pandemic stop me from doing what I enjoy doing and helping people … It makes me emotional when I see people in those situations. I give my life for people, I don’t care who you are, everyone has a right to be treated with respect and dignity. I always try my best to pass that on to everyone.” 

Carletha is currently in Portland providing relief and compassion to evacuees placed in hotels.

Monday, September 21, 2020

In Case You Missed It

Volunteer Cathy Sharpe hands out emergency supplies to families affected by
Hurricane Laura in Lake Charles Louisiana.

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 78 adults and 24 children following 43 local disaster responses. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below)

Last Week in Review
Upcoming Events and Activities 
  • We are actively recruiting for the following volunteer positions: Ready Red Cross Shelter Volunteer, Hurricane Season Reserve Corps. Apply today at www.redcross.org/volunteer! For more information, please contact recruitmentgny@redcross.org.
  • To find a blood drive near you click here.
  • Sept 23: Join us for the New York City Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities for a presentation on Disability Etiquette and Awareness. During the presentation they will go over how to best assist people with disabilities, information on each kind of disability and various accommodations for the home and workplace. (Red Cross Volunteers Only)
  • Sept 29: We have a Sheltering Volunteer Information Session so you can help those in need. Due to predictions for an active hurricane season and the complexities of COVID-19, the Red Cross will need thousands of volunteers to care for people when disasters strike.
  • Sept 29: The Missing Maps Project mobilizes volunteers all over the world to build maps that can be used in disaster response, public health campaigns, and other forms of humanitarian assistance. During this event, you will be helping to build a missing map for the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre to assist in forecasting future disaster impacts. (Red Cross Volunteers Only)
  • Sept 22, 24, 30: Prepare, Respond, Recover is a free virtual training about what you and your community can do when natural and man-made disasters strike. Register for an online session here.

Monday, September 14, 2020

In Case You Missed It

On September 13th we celebrated National Grandparents Day. 
It is important for older adults to learn what to do in an emergency during Preparedness Month.

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 108 adults and 39 children following 44 local disaster responses. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below

Last Week in Review

Upcoming Events and Activities
  • Sept 15: NYC Emergency Management is holding a virtual pets and service animals preparedness event. Hear from the ASPCA, the Guide Dog Foundation, and our Red Cross colleague Roxana Petzold about how to include your pet or service animal in your family preparedness plan.

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

In Case You Missed It

Red Cross volunteer Nick Montoro of Syosset, has been in Louisiana since Aug. 28
helping the community recover from Hurricane Laura.

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 92 adults and 25 children following 39 local disaster responses. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below)

Last Week in Review
Upcoming Events and Activities