Tuesday, August 31, 2021

In Case You Missed It

Red Crossers enjoying Mets game courtesy of LI Red Cross Board Member Ming Chiang.

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 96 adults and 37 children for 42 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

Friday, August 27, 2021

9/11 Reflections from Greater New York Red Cross CEO

On September 11, 2001 I was on the #4 Train on my way back to my home in Brooklyn from a breakfast meeting in Midtown earlier that morning. I was going to get my suitcase at home and then grab a cab to LaGuardia to head to an out of town business meeting in Colorado.

Just as the train pulled into Fulton Street (under the WTC) around 9:30am, it came to a halt and we just sat there with no information because cell phones did not work underground in those days. After a time, the doors to the train opened and several people covered in ash and blood boarded the train in panic and told us that two commercial airliners had crashed into the Twin Towers.

They finally allowed the train to move forward to the Brooklyn Bridge station and then told us to evacuate. As I left the train station – the dust and ash in the air made it look like a blizzard and as I looked back, I saw the Twin Towers collapsing as if it were a melting wedding cake. In a state of shock and disbelief, I crossed the Brooklyn Bridge on foot and walked to my home in Carroll Gardens. As I was walking towards my home, I saw memos and other papers that had blown across the river from the impact of the explosion in the tree in my garden. They were from Cantor Fitzgerald, one of the businesses that were decimated during the attack.

When my husband finally got home that evening, the first thing we agreed on was to go to the Red Cross Blood collection site then in Brooklyn Heights to donate blood to the victims. The line was long and the Red Cross volunteers came out and told us they were not collecting because sadly, the hospitals were not admitting any survivors. In the days that followed, I made a donation to the Red Cross and also brought some batteries to a Red Cross station near the site. What haunts me to this day, are all the posters that were placed all over the city for people looking for loved ones. I will never forget that day for the rest of life and I am so glad that the Red Cross was there to help and is helping us to commemorate that unspeakable tragedy.

Mary J. Barneby


Tuesday, August 24, 2021

In Case You Missed It

Red Cross distributing clean-up kits in Staten Island and Mamaronek after Hurricane Henri. (Photo: Eli Dardis)

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 121 adults and 37 children for 62 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

Monday, August 16, 2021

In Case You Missed It

Then and now: Photos from the archives of Red Cross volunteer Jim Heavey, who is now the Greenwich Police Chief.

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 108 adults and 36 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
  • The third season of our podcast launched Friday with an episode about the 2003 Northeast Blackout. We were joined by Red Cross members and partners who helped to keep New Yorkers safe and informed during this historic emergency 18 years ago. 
  • A Queens explosion and fire forced 44 people from their homes last Tuesday. ABC7 reports the Red Cross was there to provide temporary lodging, financial assistance, emotional support and other services to those impacted. 


Upcoming Events and Activities
  • The American Red Cross has issued a call for blood. We are experiencing nationwide blood shortages and are in dire need of donors to help us save lives. Find a blood drive near you today.

Monday, August 9, 2021

In Case You Missed It

Red Cross volunteers at the National Night Out in Brentwood. 

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 103 adults and 33 children for 51 local disaster responses. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below.)

Last Week in Review 
  • The New Haven Register published a photo series highlighting Red Cross blood drive efforts in Greenwich, which were held Monday.

Upcoming Events and Activities
  • We’re participating in the Target Circle program! You can vote for the Red Cross and help direct Target’s giving to benefit disaster relief. Vote by September 30 to make sure the Red Cross receives a grant so we can further our life-saving work in the community.

Monday, August 2, 2021

In Case You Missed It

Red Cross employee Chris Higgins featured in #MyRedCrossLife.

Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below.)

Last Week in Review
  • We gave a shoutout to Lori-Ann Pizzarelli, yet another Red Cross volunteer who passed her Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) road test. She’s now a member of our team of volunteers ready to take one of our ERVs out to a local disaster at a moment’s notice.

Upcoming Events and Activities