Monday, December 27, 2021

In Case You Missed It

December 25 would have been our founder Clara Barton’s 200th birthday.

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 180 adults and 72 children following 58local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below)

Last Week in Review
  • On Christmas day, the Red Cross provided comfort and care to 11 families left homeless by a multiple-alarm fire on Elliot Ave in Yonkers. ABC7 reported on the fire and highlighted the assistance provided by our volunteers. 
  • In an interview with NBC New York this past Sunday, Mary Barneby, our Regional CEO, discussed the work of the Red Cross over these past 12 months. 
  • This past year, our volunteers, staff and donors have made a difference for tens of thousands. Over the past several weeks, we’ve been sharing some of our favorite images from 2021. Checkout the full collection here.
Upcoming Events and Activities
  • Are you ready to turn your compassion into action? As a Disaster Casework volunteer, you will connect directly with people affected by disasters big and small to help them take the next steps in their recovery. Sign up here.

Monday, December 20, 2021

In Case You Missed It

Assemblywoman Michaelle C. Solages installing free smoke alarms
in her community with the Long Island Red Cross.

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 188 adults and 47 children following 42 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below

Last Week in Review

Upcoming Events and Activities
  • Are you ready to turn your compassion into action? As a Disaster Casework volunteer, you will connect directly with people affected by disasters big and small to help them take the next steps in their recovery. Sign up here.

Monday, December 13, 2021

In Case You Missed It

Devastation left behind by the weekend tornadoes in Tennessee. (Photo: Ryan Myer)

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 99 adults and 20 children for 49 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
  • Dec 15: Join us for a Volunteer Info Session to learn about our many volunteer opportunities and how you can apply. 
  • Are you ready to turn your compassion into action? As a Disaster Casework volunteer, you will connect directly with people affected by disasters big and small to help them take the next steps in their recovery. Sign up here.

Monday, December 6, 2021

In Case You Missed It

Battle of the Badges Blood Drive in Greenwich. (Photo: Kevin Suttlehan)
Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 168 adults and 76 children for 44 local disaster responses. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below)

Last Week in Review
  • In our latest “Three Questions” blog post, volunteer and recent retiree Marian Ford talks about her experience providing assistance after local disasters and how she fits into the Red Cross family. 
Upcoming Events and Activities

Friday, December 3, 2021

“Three Questions” with Marian Ford

Marian Ford, a retired social security worker from the Bronx, was initially introduced to the American Red Cross after receiving help from our organization as a child when her family’s house burned down. Ford joined the Red Cross in 2014 and as part of her Red Cross volunteer work she is a member of our Disaster Action Team, helping families affected by fires, building collapses and other emergencies across the five boroughs. She also serves as a blood donor ambassador.



Can you talk about your work responding to local disasters?


I’m part of Red Cross Disaster Action Team. It’s on-call. We respond when disaster strikes. Usually fires. We arrive on scene to assist the residents. Whether they need a place to stay, emergency funds, or any other things we can provide, like clothing, we address immediate needs.

When we arrive on scene, some people are like, “Oh, you come out to all fires?’ Every time there's a fire, if it’s a residential fire, the Red Cross is there. It is refreshing to see that we’re able to help people. Residents we assist are very appreciative. And the community also sees that we’re helping.

What do you bring to the Red Cross?

I bring my experience working with people from all walks of life. I bring empathy. I bring a unique way of looking at things. I feel that I can read people pretty well. And I don’t take myself too seriously. 

What does it mean for you to volunteer with the Red Cross?

I think it’s pledging an honor to volunteer for this agency. And I’m very, very appreciative of that.

Before I retired, I worked in an office and people came to me. Now as a volunteer I go to them--where they live, in the community. I go into people’s homes, into their neighborhoods. You really learn a lot about people’s circumstances.

Just recently with Hurricane Ida, there were so many basement apartments [affected]. I never really thought about that. I would never imagine that people could drown inside an apartment. I still get chills thinking about it. [Volunteering with the Red Cross] puts me on the scene of these situations. It gives me a whole different perspective that I didn’t have before.

Monday, November 29, 2021

In Case You Missed It

Long Island Red Crossers marched in the 2021 Huntington Red, White and Blue Holiday Parade.

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 200 adults and 43 children for 36 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

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

In Case You Missed It

Sadly, the Red Cross responded to several fatal fires last week
including on Riverhead, Long Island. (Photo: Celia Vollmer)

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 84 adults and 21 children following 40 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below)

Last Week in Review

Upcoming Events and Activities

Monday, November 15, 2021

In Case You Missed It

Governor Hochul congratulates Red Cross Volunteer Dottie Brier at the
Third Annual Women's Veterans Day Tribute Ceremony. (Photo: Joe Chang)
Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 141 adults and 72 children following 35 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below)

Last Week in Review

Upcoming Events and Activities
  • Nov 15: Join us for a Volunteer Info Session to learn about our many volunteer opportunities and how you can apply today. 

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Veterans Who Serve With the Red Cross: Jerry Rothstein

For Jerry Rothstein, service in the military and service as a Red Cross volunteer have each provided an eye-opening opportunity to get to know people from all walks of life.

In 1962, Jerry, who grew up in Brooklyn, trained as a medic at Fort Sam Houston in Texas. There, he met people from across the United States.

“As a kid that had grown up in the city and never had much to do with the rest of the United States, getting sent to Texas opened my eyes to a lot of people and a lot of things I wasn’t aware of before,” Jerry says.

After his stint in Texas, Jerry went to graduate school and spent the next five years as a reservist, serving two weeks each summer in the Civil Affairs unit, which would have been charged with running the national government of Cuba in the event that the United States went to war with Havana.

Over the past 13 years as a volunteer with the Red Cross, Jerry has continued to enjoy eye-opening adventures. On his first day on the job, he responded to a downed commercial airplane in the freezing waters off Manhattan, an incident known as the “miracle on the Hudson.”

As a Disaster Action Team supervisor, Jerry typically responds to fires, delivering services to people when they are most in need, a job that takes him to neighborhoods across New York City.

“One of my favorite things about being a volunteer is going to the different neighborhoods in the city, meeting different people and seeing how much there is to learn,” Jerry says.

Monday, November 8, 2021

In Case You Missed It

Red Cross Responders assisting residents after 4-Alarm fire in Brooklyn. (Photo: Jon Knox)

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance assisting 296 adults and 86 children for 44 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below)

Last Week in Review

Upcoming Events and Activities
  • Nov 9: Watch the livestream of the Third Annual Women's Veterans Day Tribute Ceremony at the newly rediscovered Overseas Service League Flagstaff and Grove. The occasion will pay special homage to a few women, including women veterans and volunteers, who have served our country and our local communities.
  • Nov 9: Join us for a virtual preparedness presentation, Prepare, Respond, Recover: What to do When Disaster Strikes, co-hosted by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke.
  • Nov 12: Join the American Red Cross for a new International Humanitarian Law & pop culture event! From the birth of Iron Man to Captain America to the Tesseract, the American Red Cross IHL Team will transport you into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to explore some of the biggest IHL issues in Phase One of the Infinity Saga!
  • Are you ready to turn your compassion into action? As a Disaster Casework volunteer, you will connect directly with people affected by disasters big and small to help take the next steps in their recovery journey. Sign up here.

Wednesday, November 3, 2021

 “Three Questions” With Sergey Pigach 

By Kenna Beban, American Red Cross in Greater NY 

"Three Questions” 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.                   

Photo Credit: Kevin Suttlehan
  
Sergey Pigach joined the American Red Cross in Greater NY in the spring of 2020, shortly after the onset of the pandemic. He started out by providing food and household supplies to hospital workers and later began responding to disasters in New York and across the country. Last month, Sergey supported our response to Ida flooding across the city by canvassing affected communities, sharing information, talking to residents, and distributing clean-up supplies. 

Why did you feel compelled to volunteer during the pandemic?  

Obviously, it was an unprecedented situation for all of us. I think, especially in the early days of COVID when no one really knew what it was or how bad it was, there was this sense of helplessness. No one really understood how to deal with the situation. Maybe in some sort of a selfish way, it was also just a way for me to have some sort of illusion of control over the situation in my little portion of the universe. But in the larger sense, I just wanted to help out.  

How did working in the field, and seeing firsthand the damage caused by Hurricane Ida in NYC affect you?  

It served as a reminder of how concealed all of those individual stories are from the public eye. After New York got hit, where I live, nothing really changed. It rained for a night, but I was fine, everybody around me was fine, I didn’t really see any damage. Once we were deployed to those specific neighborhoods that got affected, it was a stark and crazy contrast. You’re driving down the street and everything looks fine, and then you take a turn, and there’s a sunken alley, or an area with very unfortunate topography, where it just looks like a tornado came through. Just walking around there, it felt like a war zone. There were piles of rubble, and people already starting to rebuild and tear down their walls. It’s very sudden and completely unexpected to see. 

We came to one of the neighborhoods in Staten Island where everyone was tearing down partition walls in their houses on the first floor because everything was just reeking of mold. We would come up to the door to hand somebody the cleanup kits and talk to them, and every time they opened the door you could smell the rot and bleach emanating from inside. For a lot of people, this will definitely put them in a very precarious financial position, and for a lot of people, sadly, that will probably mean no longer having a home. 

How did they respond to the Red Cross’ help?  

I think there was a very genuine sense of gratitude. It was very touching when one of the residents who opened the door, she was an older woman with a very strong Balkan accent, and I could tell that she was probably living in the U.S. only for a few years. When I introduced myself, I said, “Hi, we’re with the Red Cross, we just wanted to give you this clean-up kit if you were affected.” She smiled and said, “oh my god, I love this country!” Because she felt like she was cared for. That was a very touching moment.  


Photo Credit: Kevin Suttlehan

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

In Case You Missed It

Greenwich partners showing their support for the Home Fire Safety Campaign.

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 73 adults and 17 children following 39 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below)

Last Week in Review

Upcoming Events and Activities
  • Nov 3: Join us for a Volunteer Information Session to learn about our many volunteer opportunities and how you can apply today.
  • Nov 12: Join the American Red Cross for a new International Humanitarian Law & pop culture event! From the birth of Iron Man to Captain America to the Tesseract, the American Red Cross IHL Team will transport you into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to explore some of the biggest IHL issues in Phase One of the Infinity Saga!
  • Are you ready to turn your compassion into action? As a Disaster Casework volunteer, you will connect directly with people affected by disasters big and small to help take the next steps in their recovery journey. Sign up here.

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

“Three Questions” with Mary Cueva

By Kenna Beban, American Red Cross in Greater NY

"Three Questions” 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.

Photo Credit: John Eng
Mary Cueva has been an American Red Cross team member since February 2020 when she decided to use her customer service experience to serve as a volunteer screener. In this role, she interviews prospective volunteers to find Red Cross positions for them that match their interests and skills. Up until September of 2021, most of her work was done remotely; but after Hurricane Ida, she accompanied Red Cross teams distributing cleanup supplies in NYC communities affected by the devastating flooding. Originally from Honduras, Cuevas moved to New York City 2002.

When in your life were you first introduced to the Red Cross?

In Honduras, we have a lot of hurricanes. The one that really left its mark, in my experience, was Hurricane Mitch in 1998. And we had the Honduran Red Cross helping there and I was exposed to their help. As a kid I remember watching how they were cleaning up, and how they had the Red Cross flag. They also brought me food. It was just great.

How did it feel doing fieldwork for the first time, after Ida?

It made it feel real. I saw a lot of houses destroyed, they [the residents] always wanted to tell you what happened to them, how the basement was just gone, how everything got destroyed. It also made it feel like every little bit of work we do as volunteers helps. Because even handing out a cleaning kit meant a lot.

A lot [of the people we helped] were relieved, they said, ‘oh my god, thank you for coming!’ The Red Cross is a worldwide organization. Everybody knows that symbol. So, when people see that, they know that someone is coming to help. It was amazing to see people understand that we are trying to assist them. Help is all we want to give.

There were these two girls I met who couldn’t live in their home anymore. As soon as they opened their door to their basement [apartment], the smell inside brought me back to my home in Honduras, when I had to live through Hurricane Mitch. I was like, oh, my heart! Nothing like the sense of smell to bring the memories back to you. But it’s great to now understand that I am part of the help. Even though I struggle myself, there are people that are in a worse position. Might as well help, right?

Can you talk about the diversity of the Red Cross here, specifically as it relates to language skills?

It’s very important to have people who speak different languages in our volunteer roles. When distributing supplies after Ida, one of my favorite things that we did was when we parked the ERV [Emergency Response Vehicle] announced our services [over the loudspeaker] in four languages. The driver made the announcement in English and Mandarin, I said it in Spanish. And there was someone who said it in Hindi..The ability to speak four languages in that van made a lot more people come out, because now you’re relating to people in their own languages.

This is very important. Especially for immigrant families, who may be afraid to ask for help. So, when they hear the announcement in their own language, they feel more comfortable relating. It’s just great to have that connection. Even though you don't know them, it makes them not be afraid to ask for help, to share with you their experience, and to tell you other things that they need.



Tuesday, October 26, 2021

In Case You Missed It

Long Island Home Fire teams helping to #EndHomeFires.
Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 81 adults and 20 children following 33 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below)

Last Week in Review

Upcoming Events and Activities
  • Nov 12: Join the American Red Cross for a new International Humanitarian Law & pop culture event! From the birth of Iron Man toCaptain America to the Tesseract, the American Red Cross IHL Team will transport you into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to explore some of the biggest IHL issues in Phase One of the Infinity Saga!
  • Are you ready to turn your compassion into action? As a Disaster Casework volunteer, you will connect directly with people affected by disasters big and small to help take the next steps in their recovery journey. Sign up here.

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

In Case You Missed It

Listen to our latest podcast episode on Hurricane Maria.

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 85 adults and 32 children following 30 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below)

Last Week in Review

Upcoming Events and Activities

Monday, October 11, 2021

In Case You Missed It

Red Cross ERV sighting at Brentwood Library Touch-a-Truck Event.

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 100 adults and 30 children following 32 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below)

Last Week in Review
Upcoming Events and Activities
  • Oct 19: Preparing with Pedro is a 30- to 45-minute virtual presentation during which students learn about how to stay safe during a locally relevant hazard co-hosted by NY State Assembly Member Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas.
  • Oct 20: Join our Volunteer Info Session to learn about our many volunteer opportunities and how you can apply today.
  • Oct 21: Join us for a virtual preparedness presentation Prepare, Respond, Recover: What to do When Disaster Strikes co-hosted by Congressman Ritchie Torres.
  • Are you ready to turn your compassion into action? As a Disaster Casework volunteer, you will connect directly with people affected by disasters big and small to help take the next steps in their recovery journey. Sign up here.

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

In Case You Missed It

Senator Alexis Weik honored members of the Hispanic community in the
3rd Senate District including Long Island Red Cross volunteer Celia Vollmer.

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 100 adults and 39 children for 33 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

Surveying Ida: on the Street with a Disaster Assessment Team


By Barbara Gaynes, American Red Cross in Greater NY

Matthew Bush stood outside his flood-damaged basement apartment in Mamaroneck, N.Y., surrounded by the few possessions he and his 9-year-old son had managed to salvage. A waterlogged photo album was drying in the sun along with a baseball glove, a metal file cabinet and a soggy baseball-card collection.

“It was wild,” Bush told Red Cross Disaster Assessment volunteer Brian McMullan, describing the night Hurricane Ida struck. “My son jumped out of bed at like 9:30 and said, ‘Dad, there’s water in the house!’”

The Bushes quickly escaped to the home of a neighbor, helpless to stop the 6 feet of water that rushed into their apartment, destroying or displacing most of the belongings collected during the three-plus years they had lived there.

“My son had about 20 fish,” Bush said. “We found one of them in the bedroom. Don’t know where the other 19 are. He was pretty shook by that.”

A decorative candle that had been displayed on a wooden board was found seven houses down the street. But Bush was most heartbroken to see the ashes of his deceased father “floating in the water” after spilling from an urn.

McMullan, a longtime Red Cross volunteer who has assisted victims of several hurricanes, listened sympathetically to Bush and took photos of his home for the damage report he would file. After Bush said that he’d slept in his mother’s car the previous night, McMullan advised him to go to the nearby Service Center for assistance from the Red Cross and other agencies.


For McMullan and his wife Linda, also a volunteer, stories like Bush’s are sadly all too familiar. During nearly two decades of service, the Suffern, N.Y., couple have teamed up to help people in the aftermath of fires, hurricanes (including Houston’s Harvey) and other disasters. The most memorable parts are often the appreciation of the victims.

Speaking of their work during some large disasters, delivering food to affected communities, Linda recalls, “When you do a route for a few days, you end up getting pictures created by the kids: ‘Thank you, Red Cross.’ One woman (in Houston) was so distraught, and she wanted us to pray with her. She gave us a little prayer: ‘Thank God for the Red Cross. Thank God for the people who are helping us.’ Those moments are really touching.”

On this day in Mamaroneck, more than a week post-Ida, the streets were still littered with storm-related debris including a destroyed oil tank, a shattered front door and a mangled drum set. One woman showed Linda three cars in her driveway that had been damaged by floodwater that rose midway up the vehicles’ windows.

This was the fifth straight day the McMullans had spent on the streets of Mamaroneck, Port Chester, N.Y., and Greenwich, Conn., surveying damaged homes and handing out cleanup kits. Yet they showed no signs of fatigue and stopped to spend a few minutes with every resident who approached them.

“People need to tell their stories,” Brian explained.

At the Bush apartment, Brian classified the damage as “Major” and sent a report in through an app on his phone. It was the first step toward getting financial assistance for Bush and his son — which they soon received— and the harried father was grateful.

“I’m exhausted,” Bush said. “I feel like I went to alien land for a week and am now getting back to civilization. I’m so thankful I saw you guys.”