Red Cross Help for Bronx Family

Yvette Carvajal and her Red Cross casworker, Lilliam Rivera-Cruz

by Caroline Hroncich

A relaxing day at the beach quickly took a turn for the worse for the Carvajal family. Forty-three year-old Yvette Carvajal had taken her two children, Jasmine, 10, and David, 15, to the beach on July 19, in celebration of Jasmine’s birthday, when she received a frantic phone call from a neighbor: Their Bronx apartment was on fire. Fortunately, the American Red Cross was there to provide assistance.   

When they got back to their Garfield Street home of seven years, Carvajal was shocked at the scene unfolding before her. The fire department was almost finished putting out the fire, and there was hardly anything left to recover.

“There was broken glass everywhere,” she said, “When I went to the back and saw the destruction in my room and my son’s room; that got me bad.” 

Carvajal said she felt lost, unsure of what she was going to do, and where she was going to stay. Then two Red Cross volunteers approached her.

“They comforted me,” Carvajal said. “They asked if I had a place to go. I told them I was going to stay in my car. The man said ‘We will get you a place to stay.’”

The Red Cross provided the Carvajal family with temporary housing close to their neighborhood. They also received emergency funds for new clothing, since they now had only their beach wear.

“I left my home fine,” Carvajal said, “and came back and find it was gone. My apartment was where we felt comfortable. That was my home.”

There is no doubt Yvette Carvajal’s strength allowed her to stay positive throughout this experience. Carvajal said her Red Cross caseworker, Lillian Rivera-Cruz, helped her to get access to the resources she and her two children need to move forward.

“Right now the Red Cross has given me hope, and is guiding me to the path I’m supposed to be on to start over,” she said. “I feel very thankful."

#WhyIVolunteer: Diaster Responder Bob Cowert

Red Cross volunteer Bob Cowert, pictured above, lives in Nyack, N.Y., in Rockland County and owns a floor covering store in Congers, N.Y. He began volunteering with the Red Cross in 2005. He is currently captain of the Bronx Disaster Action Team (DAT), a team of volunteers that responds to home fires and other emergencies, providing compassionate assistance to those affected. Bob hopes the story of how and why he became a volunteer may motivate others to volunteer with the Red Cross.

Bob Cowert: Why I Volunteer

Without my knowing it, the sequence of events that culminated with my decision to become a Red Cross volunteer started with a phone call on a cold February day in 2005.

My wife, Lisa, received this call from Dr. Axtman, direct from a field hospital in Al Asad, Iraq. Dr. Axtman called to inform us that our son, a Marine Corps corporal, had collapsed while on a mission. He was very sick. The diagnosis was double pneumonia, which developed into sepsis, a very dangerous condition. The doctor explained that his condition was critical and, in a delicate, roundabout way, was preparing us for the worst.

Subsequent phone calls over the next few days informed us that Ken made it through the critical phase and would be airlifted home for recovery. I later found out from my tough-as-nails son that before going on this mission with his squad, he felt feverish and ill, but declined to say anything. He explained that they had a job to do, had trained for it, and all the members of the squad were needed for its success. A fever (it was pushing 105 when he collapsed and the field medic checked it) was no reason to stay behind.

Ken’s recovery at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland, and a month at home after that, passed quickly. The final follow-up visit at Bethesda was an interesting one. The doctor explained that due to the injury to his lungs and respiratory system, she was offering to sign papers that would keep him stateside for the duration of his enlistment.

He refused. It was important to him, no, it was mandatory, that he return to his unit in Iraq. His team was there and he intended to go back. No other options. Case closed. She cleared him for duty and he was going back to war.

As a father, this was a tough one. I was so very proud of Ken and at the same time scared beyond words. He returned to Iraq, completed his tour of duty and later that year came back to us healthy and intact. Upon his return, after all the celebration had subsided, I thought about the gift I had been given. My son: alive, unharmed, home safe.

I did not know what to do; I just knew that I had to do something. I needed to give, give back, to somehow say a meaningful “thank you.” What do I have? What can I share? All I knew was that it had to be personal. Certainly not money; having three children cured me of any excess in that department. The only possibility was me, my time.

I spoke to Rose Marie Fajardo at the (former) Red Cross office in Nyack and immediately decided to volunteer and become one of the people who actually do something rather than just talk or dream about doing something.

Now, almost eight years later, with hundreds of responses on my résumé, my motives for volunteering have come full circle.

My son’s actions and safe return opened the door for me, but now I consider my continuing involvement more selfish than anything else. Let me explain: I enjoy helping people.

I feel a sense of importance and accomplishment being in a position to provide assistance to those in need.

I volunteer with the most incredible people. Like minded, down-to-earth people who share my own views about what we do. Which is, in a nutshell: On a disaster of any scale, those affected are our mission! We push our own lives aside and concentrate on assisting this person or family in their time of distress.

I drive home after a shift in New York City and am always reminded that my own life's problems are inconsequential compared to the disaster-related outcomes caused by fire, flood, negligence and so many other causes.

The above paragraph has an excess of I’s ... which is why I use the word selfish. Certainly, volunteering is not about me, but about my fellow members of the human race, those in need.

I thank the Red Cross for giving me the opportunity to work on the front lines. I will continue to—hopefully—shine a light in a person's life during a time of darkness.

Red Cross Helps Bronx Couple Stay Together After Vacate

“We were in a panic.”

That’s how Maxine Scott describes how she and her companion, Jack Tucker, felt as they were being vacated from their home of two years on Tinton Avenue in the Bronx.

This occurred on a recent Sunday evening in the middle of a bitter cold snap. The building, a one-family home, had been broken up to accommodate a number of families. City inspectors deemed it unsafe; in fact said Maxine, they called it a fire trap.

Maxine and Jack, although unmarried, have been together 27 years, and were afraid they would be separated.

“I’m thinking he’ll be with men: I’ll be in a place where there’s all women,” Maxine said. “He is my family. We depend on one another. I’m his right hand. I start a sentence; Jack can finish it.”

Jack nodded in agreement.

They quickly gathered what few belongings they could carry, including one change of clothes.

Red Cross disaster responders were soon on the scene to help.

“The Red Cross showed up; the person who helped us was so polite,” Maxine said. “He explained everything, step by step. If we didn’t understand something, he broke it down.”

The Red Cross gave the couple a debit card with funds for basic needs, MetroCards and temporary housing (together) at a local hotel.

Maxine, who recently lost her job in food service and is about to begin classes in custodial management, said the Red Cross alleviated her fears.

“I’m trying to go to school, I’m trying to work. And I don’t know if I can do all this at the same time. But I feel at ease,” she said. “We’re not just going to be thrown out into the street …. the Red Cross is awesome.”

Bronx Woman Turns to Red Cross After Electrical Fire

Although Imeh Cuthbertson and her husband had had problems with the power in their Bronx apartment for some time (for example, if their bedroom light was on, their kitchen light was likely to be off, and vice versa), Imeh never expected those problems to escalate into a fire.

But in mid-December, that’s exactly what happened. Imeh, who emigrated from Liberia in 2004 and works nights as a security guard in Queens, and her husband, who came to the States from Nigeria somewhat earlier, went out to an early appointment at 6 am.

When they returned a few hours later, they received a shock: Their street was filled with people and police, and their apartment had been destroyed by an electrical fire.

“I couldn’t take anything out of my house. It was all burnt," she said. "All that I sweat for, all that I worked for!” She despaired, “How am I going to start life over again?”

Imeh had heard that the Red Cross helps people after fires. Yet when the Red Cross worker on the scene first approached her, Imeh was too upset to speak with her.

“The Red Cross lady came in, and she said, ‘How you doing, ma’am?’ She walked with me; she was so sweet, she was so kind, even though I was crying. She almost burst into tears, too. She said, ‘You relax; when you’re ready you come to me.'”

After a time, Imeh calmed down. She conferred with the responder, who provided her and her husband with emergency housing at a local motel, and a debit card with funds for emergency food and clothing. Imeh later came to Greater New York Red Cross regional headquarters in Manhattan, where a caseworker helped her with next steps.

“We never know what tomorrow has for us,” Imeh said. “Anything can happen. And if anything does, I think Red Cross is the best."

Red Cross Thanks Partners Working at Bronx Train Derailment

In the aftermath of Sunday’s tragic train derailment in the Bronx, the American Red Cross has been proud to support our partner agencies that have worked tirelessly at the scene of the incident. 

We thank the FDNY, the NYPD, New York City OEM, New York State OEM, the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, the NTSB, the MTA, and all other agencies at the scene, for their efforts over these trying few days, as well as their vital work throughout the year. 

We also thank Disaster Chaplaincy Services, Disaster Psychiatry Outreach, and the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, who have been on hand to provide comfort and emotional support to passengers and first responders.

"The Red Cross … are like the family you had, but never knew about.”

Earlier this week, Rafael Cotto and his family lost their  home in the Bronx after a powerful fire spread from a nearby house.

While Rafael was in his bedroom on a late afternoon, he heard people yelling, “Get out, get out, there’s a fire!”

He looked out the window. “There were flames right in my face,” Rafael said. “I pulled the curtain back, ran to the hallway, and I yelled to the kids, ‘There’s a fire! Let’s get out of here!’”

After quickly returning to his room to retrieve a few items, Rafael walked out of the house with his daughter and son, 17 and 15. His daughter was draped in a towel; his son was in shorts and a tee shirt.

They stood on the street as firefighters started spraying the house. The source of the fire had been a house next to a grocery store. A second house succumbed as well, and Rafael’s next.

Rafael called his wife, Selene, at work, and she rushed home. The Red Cross was on the scene within 45 minutes, quickly wrapping people in warm blankets.

Selene said, “They also gave us warm drinks—tea and coffee. It was very nice. They did a very, very good job.”

The Red Cross provided the family with hotel accommodations as well.

Rafael and Selena admitted, “We didn’t know that the Red Cross responded to fires; it was our first time in this situation.”

When the couple visited Greater New York Red Cross headquarters, they were given a debit card with which to buy replacement clothes and food, along with an organized plan about what to do next after meeting with their caseworker.

“I feel better, I feel comfortable; I give my thanks to the Red Cross,” Selene said. “They are like the family you had, but never knew about.”

“I appreciate everything Red Cross has done for us.”

By Dorothy He

Ronald Bethea of the Bronx awoke one morning to a dark apartment. Thinking his lights might not be working, he went to check on the breakers. That’s when he noticed a nightmarish heat coming from his son John Faison’s room—it was an electrical fire.

Ronald recalled, “I ran out of the apartment. Smoke was everywhere. It was black; I couldn’t even see my hand. I ran out the front door into the hallway. I’m thinking, ‘I’ve got to call somebody.’”

A neighbor saw Ronald and offered assistance, but didn’t have a phone. In a panic, Ronald ran back into his bedroom and snatched up his cell phone. After making it safely outside, he dialed 911 and waited for assistance. First responders arrived on the scene within 10 minutes, as did the Red Cross.

As EMS workers aided the wheezing Ronald, who suffers from asthma, Red Cross responders spoke to his family members who had rushed to the scene. Ronald called John, who works in the music industry, and thankfully was not home at the time of the fire.

The Red Crossers then talked with Ronald. He and John were offered temporary housing and access to emergency funds, but declined the housing, as they were able to stay with one of Ronald’s sisters.
 Nevertheless, a volunteer gave them contact information for the Red Cross.

When Ronald and John came to Red Cross headquarters in Manhattan, their first concern was housing.

Ronald worried, “We have no other place to go. We’re not homeless, but [at the same time], we are.” A Red Cross caseworker assisted the pair in their search with a referral to the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and emergency funds to cover basic necessities.

“Words can’t say ... more. I appreciate everything Red Cross has done for us,” Ronald said. “They were on point from the time we walked through the door.”

Between my job and the Red Cross – it’s a family. A real family.

by Nadine Rose

Yamilka Alvarez and her family barely escaped from a five-alarm fire in the Bronx that destroyed their home. Alvarez lives with her mother, husband and two young daughters, ages 8 and 2. In the face of this tragedy, the family has found comfort and support with the American Red Cross.

The Alvarez family had lived in their second floor apartment for almost two years. The morning of the fire, they woke up in shock to heat and smoke. Thinking fast, Alvarez was able to grab some identification and a blanket for the baby, and quickly guided her mother and kids to safety. The father of the household met with Red Cross responders when they arrived on site.

Alvarez admitted, “It’s hard because when you see things happen on TV; you don’t think they are going to happen to you.”

Outside, Alvarez continued to feel anxious for her family, especially her mother, who suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure.

A Red Cross responder took charge, asking if the family needed anything, including housing. They declined the housing, and stayed with friends for two nights.

Then, they decided to meet with a Red Cross caseworker at regional headquarters in Manhattan to learn how to find more permanent housing.

The caseworker helped the family determine the correct paperwork for housing through NYC’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development, what resources were available for the mother’s medical needs, and other key next steps.

“I was surprised at all the help the Red Cross gave me,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez appreciates that she came out of the devastating fire with what she needs most.

“I have the most important things – my family.”

Additionally, Alvarez works at a local hospital and is thankful that her employer has given her a lot of support. “Between my job and the Red Cross – it’s a family. A real family.”

"The responders really helped with a smile.”

Alicia Rios, her husband, Miguel Ortiz, and their two daughters, Diana Rios, 16 and Felicia Rios, 14, were recently burned out of their Bronx apartment. They were grateful the Red Cross was there to help.

The night of the fire, the family members were all asleep. Feeling unusually warm, Miguel awoke around 1 am. He told Alicia he thought he smelled bread toasting; to her it smelled more like fire. 

Miguel went upstairs and found smoke coming through the apartment door above. The family ran outside to safety—just before their living room ceiling collapsed in smoke and flame.
 

“It was a miracle we got out, but it was so sad,” said Alicia. “Even though we did not get hurt, we saw pictures of our family go down with the fire. We lost everything.”

They had moved into the apartment only a month earlier. 

Red Cross disaster responders met with the family at the scene. After making sure that Alicia, who has a heart condition, was not in need of medical assistance, they arranged for temporary housing for the family at a hotel, and drove them there.  

Alicia, Miguel and the girls came to Red Cross headquarters days later, where they received financial assistance for food assistance and referrals for long term housing.

"The Red Cross came and they were so friendly and supportive,” said Alicia. "The responders really helped with a smile. They helped a lot and are still helping."

“I needed help right away and the Red Cross was there.”

By Michelle Shore

In late March 2013, Bronx resident George Ford returned home from a friend’s house and saw his second-story apartment in flames. His first thought was for his two Pomeranian dogs, Krypto and Knight, who were trapped inside. The American Red Cross responder who came to assist understood that for Ford, his dogs came first.

That’s because, for a long time, with no family in his life, the dogs had become like family to Ford, as had his neighbors in the Westchester Village neighborhood in the Bronx where he’d lived since 2009.

“This is the only place I have been able to call home in a while,” he said.

When the 56-year-old ex-Navy reservist was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer, he really saw the best side of his local community.

“I knew no one when I moved into this apartment but all my neighbors became my good friends,” Ford explained. During his cancer treatment, “They brought me food, did my laundry and shopped for me,” he said.

In return he helped out his neighbors and watched over the seniors in the building. After two years of extensive treatment and surgery, Ford’s cancer went into remission. Soon after that, he took the advice of his doctor and adopted the two Pomeranians.

“The dogs were a lifesaver for me,” he said.

The day his apartment burned, Ford tried desperately to reach the dogs. Though he made two efforts to climb onto the fire escape and into his apartment, thick smoke and flames pushed him back. Ford suffered minor non-life threatening burns from his rescue attempts.

Within minutes after Ford’s fruitless efforts, firefighters were in the apartment extinguishing the blaze and bringing out the dogs, who were both unconscious.

“Their eyes were shut and they were barely breathing,” Ford said. “I don’t know what I would have done if they had perished in the fire.”

After a half hour of oxygen administered by a firefighter, the dogs awoke. It was a moment of huge relief for Ford, who realized he wouldn’t be able to relocate without his dogs at his side.

“The American Red Cross responder got on the phone and wouldn’t stop calling until he had found a place for me and my dogs to stay,” he recalled.

In addition to providing Ford and his dogs with temporary housing during repairs to the damaged apartment, the Red Cross was also able to provide emergency funds to help with urgent purchases such as food and clothing.

“I needed help right away and the Red Cross was there,” Ford said. “Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”

A One Alarm Fire Puts Things into Perspective

By Ashley Chapman

At two a.m., the smell of burning electricity was so strong that it awoke Angela Rosa and her three kids in their Bronx apartment.

Rosa heard people scream, “Fire! Call 911!” so she and her children, ages 11, 15 and 17, grabbed warm clothes and a few photos off the wall, and fled. When they emerged into the cold January night, they saw that the apartment directly above theirs was in flames.

While the American Red Cross continues to manage recovery efforts from Superstorm Sandy, its emergency dispatchers are also responding around-the-clock to disasters, like the one-alarm fire that destroyed Angela Rosa’s apartment.

Throughout the Greater New York region, the Red Cross responds to an average of seven disasters daily, and provides comfort, shelter and support to those affected.

Even one-alarm fires like Rosa’s make homes uninhabitable due to extensive water and smoke damage. When the fire department let Rosa back into her home the next day, she had to use an umbrella as the ceilings had collapsed.

“It was raining everywhere,” said Rosa. “Our mattresses were soaked, our clothing was ruined, and even the ceiling in the bedroom that I share with my little girl had burst.”

The Red Cross provided the affected residents with temporary emergency shelter at a local hotel and gave them essential resources like clothing and hygiene kits.

“The Red Cross is excellent at times in need,” said Rosa. “When you don’t have anything, you know you can turn to them because they understand.”

Rosa, who is a single mother with type 1 diabetes, hopes to return to her apartment as soon as possible with her family. But you won’t hear her complain about her situation. Instead she laments about the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

“They don’t even have a home to return to,” she said. “Just bricks. Imagine how those people are suffering. We are lucky to have a roof over our heads. We’re being taken care of, and staying warm.”

New York Volunteer Passionate About Helping People

“If you try it just one day, you’d understand.”

That’s how 28-year-old Zullyvette Feliciano describes volunteering with the American Red Cross.

“Most of my friends don’t volunteer at all and they don’t understand,” she said. “But when you see the appreciation in someone’s face that you’ve helped, it’s out of this world.”

Feliciano, who works full time at a New York hospital, has been a volunteer with the Greater New York Red Cross region for more than two years. Her dedication to public service has even driven her to use her own vacation time to help out in times of disaster.

“I went to Catholic school growing up and always had volunteer projects, so it’s always been a part of me,” Feliciano said. “If you have the ability to help, you should.”

As a volunteer with the Greater New York emergency response team, Feliciano helps people affected by everyday disasters like house fires, providing them with food, clothing, lodging, emotional support and other assistance as needed.

“Everyone is always so warm and grateful for what we do,” she said.

When Superstorm Sandy made landfall, Feliciano navigated her way from her home in the Bronx to regional headquarters in Manhattan to help any way she could. Her dedication prompted her to spend the night on a cot in an empty office cubicle on the building’s fourth floor, along with dozens of other Red Cross volunteers. She awoke the next day to continue volunteering.

As part of a Red Cross team, Feliciano began conducting damage assessments in some of the hardest-hit areas. She also drove a mobile feeding truck through the streets of the Rockaways, distributing food to those who had lost their homes.
“Everyone was so happy to see us,” she said.

Feliciano even pitched in and answered phone calls in the emergency communications center at Greater New York headquarters in the weeks following Sandy. At the time, the center was receiving thousands of calls each day.

Feliciano earned her master’s degree in environmental and occupational health sciences in 2009. Today, she is back at her full-time job, but her passion for helping brings her back to the Red Cross almost every Saturday, where she continues to assist those impacted by everyday disasters like house fires.

“I get way more back than what I give,” Feliciano said.

“If they weren’t here, we don’t know what would have happened to us.”



Photo: E. Calderon/S. Johnson


Okisha Ashley, her four children and her grandmother, Nellie, who was visiting from the Island of Jamaica, were fast asleep in Okisha’s Walton Avenue apartment in the Bronx around 12:30 am on July 18 when they were awoken by someone kicking hard at the apartment door.

Alarmed, Okisha called the police. Then she looked out the window, saw fire trucks and heard a commotion. She immediately grabbed her kids and her grandmother and ran downstairs and out of the building.

“We didn’t bring anything,” she said, “just the cloths on our backs.”

Her entire apartment, her home for 33 years, was destroyed—her ceiling had collapsed as a result of all the water being used to put out the fire above.

“I had just remodeled my apartment—new furniture, a new TV,” said Okisha, “Everything is gone.”

They were, however, very glad to be safe.

“I was just thankful that we are all alive.”

After evacuating, they waited in a park across the street until the Red Cross set up a reception center at nearby All Hallows High School. There, they cooled down a bit, ate and waited.

At the center, a Red Cross responder told Okisha that she and her family were eligible for emergency housing at a hotel. Although grateful for the offer, they declined and stayed with a friend.

They did, however, come to Greater NY headquarters in Manhattan the next day where Red Cross caseworkers provided the family with emergency funds for clothing.

“My kids have been wearing the same thing since the fire,” said Okisha, “Because of the Red Cross, I’ll be able to buy them a change of clothes.”

The Red Cross also provided Okisha with information on how to obtain long-term housing while their apartment is being renovated.

“I didn’t know the Red Cross was so helpful,” said Okisha. “You would never think you would be in that situation; that’s how quick you can end up homeless. I really appreciate what the Red Cross did for us. If they weren’t here, we don’t know what would have happened to us.”

“Red Cross is an A-plus in my opinion.”

It started as a regular Tuesday for Alexis Geraldino. He attended classes at Technical Career Institutes New York where he is finishing up a program in accounting. But when he returned to his Bronx apartment that evening, he learned that a fire had roared through the building during the afternoon. The fire was out, but the damage was done. The roof and most of the two floors above his were almost completely gone, making Alexis’s 4th floor apartment essentially the top floor of the building. Alexis found that his apartment was nearly destroyed; his belongings ruined with water and smoke damage and his ceiling ripped apart.

“The first night I tried to survive on my own resources,” he said. Although access to the floors above his was blocked, Alexis was able to get into his apartment and stay the night. “I accept that it wasn’t the best idea,” he said. “I was thinking, what am I going to do in the morning?”

Although Red Cross responders had been on the scene during and after the fire to register residents for assistance, Alexis had arrived after they’d gone. The next day, Alex spoke to a Red Cross worker who returned to the building. He later came to Metro Red Cross headquarters, where, caseworkers arranged for a hotel for him for two nights, and referrals for longer-term city housing. Alexis said, “I knew the Red Cross would come through. Red Cross is an A-plus in my opinion and not just because of the help I just got.”

As it turns out, Alexis had received Red Cross help years earlier. In 2003, while serving in the army in Tennessee, waiting to be deployed to the Iraq, Alexis’ father, who was his only living relative, had a heart attack back in New York. With the assistance of the Red Cross’s Service to the Armed Forces program, Alexis was able to return to oversee his father’s care. Sadly, before his father could receive the surgery he needed, he passed away.

After his father’s death, Alexis spent a year in Iraq, where he injured his back. Though he originally intended a life-long career in the service, Alexis was discharged for medical reasons. He returned to New York City in 2007.

Alexis is incredibly grateful for all the assistance he received both after the fire and when he was in the military. He said, “I cannot talk about the Red Cross without saying ‘Thank-you.’ I mean it.”

Alexis Geraldino, Bronx, New York

Donning the Red Jacket Once More: A Second Ride-Along Story

By Amanda Grzymala

Back in February, I went on my first ride-along, accompanying Metro NY Red Cross responders to the scene of a disaster. Now, during my last week working as an intern in the Marketing & PR department, I was going out on a response for a second time.

Once again, I borrowed a friend’s work boots (so that I could safely walk through a fire scene), and prepared myself to experience another long, yet fulfilling day. Remembering my first ride-along, I knew that this second trip would be full of unexpected twists.

At the chapter’s disaster response area I met Mauricio Serrato, Senior Supervisor, Response, who gave me an unexpected, behind-the-scenes tour of the workings of the disaster relief process, something I’d not been able to see in February.

First, we visited the Emergency Communications Center (ECC), where I saw the scanners the ECC team monitors to learn about fires throughout Metro New York in order to quickly respond. And I met the ECC staff members—the people at the other end of our walkie-talkies who organize housing for clients displaced by disaster and who direct responders during their shifts.

I then met Stephen Johnson, the responder I’d be shadowing that day, and a Red Cross employee with more than four years of experience. We gathered our equipment—walkie-talkie, jacket, hard hat, etc.—and headed out in an Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) that Stephen had already packed with supplies.

The fire we’d responded to in February was residential; this one was at a commercial building, a Laundromat. I wondered why we would respond to such a fire if there would be no residents who needed our help. Stephen explained that first responders had been battling this 4-alarm blaze nearly the entire day. They need plenty of hydration and nourishment and had run out of both. Since it’s the responsibility of the Red Cross to provide basic humanitarian assistance to first responders, as well as to New Yorkers affected by disasters, we would be providing the firefighters with beverages and snacks.

As we approached Burnside Avenue in the Bronx, it was obvious that this fire was difficult to control. We parked on a nearby street, avoiding fire trucks and crowds of people. As we got out of the ERV, I noticed the heavy stream of water flowing down the street. Spotting the fire building, we saw smoke billowing from the roof. The fire was still burning and spreading to adjacent establishments.

Firefighters were out in full force, waiting for their chance to battle the blaze. We surveyed the area and then hurried back to the ERV and unloaded our supplies—water, cases of Gatorade, and boxes of cookies and snacks. Exhausted firefighters were grateful for the opportunity to rehydrate and grab a snack. After a round of thanks, we headed back to the ERV, a job well done.

The Metro NY Red Cross is there to assist those affected by fires. The first responders fighting that fire may not be the first ones to cross your mind, but as they risk their lives for us, the least we can do is provide simple supplies that give them the most basic forms of comfort and support.

Photos: Fire at 1711 Popham Avenue in the Bronx

Photos: Lisa Weatherbee

On the morning of May 4, 2011, a fire struck a house in the Bronx. The Red Cross was dispatched to the scene to provide help and hope to residents who were affected.

Click here to read full captions of each photo.

Video: The Red Cross Responds to Bronx 4-Alarm Fire

Video Editor: Nicholas Martinez

On March 9, 2011, the Metro NY Red Cross responded to a 4-alarm fire in the Bronx and opened a reception center/shelter for the displaced residents. This video gives viewers a glance at how everyday disasters like fires affects the lives of many local residents and how the Red Cross provides help and hope to them.

Thank you to all our volunteers!

In honor of National Volunteer Week (April 10-16, 2011), I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for working tirelessly to fulfill the American Red Cross mission. This year’s theme, Celebrating People in Action, aptly describes the Metro New York Region’s volunteers. Red Cross volunteers are doers. Red Cross volunteers are people in action.

Our region has more than 11,000 volunteers from all walks of life. They come together with one common purpose—to provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Considering that our region is the Nation’s largest—serving more than 13 million people—that is a tremendous task

Red Cross volunteers like you are always ready to step in and help people down the street, across the nation and around the world. Last year, you helped us bring lifesaving safety courses such as first aid, CPR, babysitting and care giving to over 300,000 people. You helped us serve veterans, members of the military, and their families. You supported our critical mission-related work through general office support.

And of course, you helped us provide food, shelter, comfort and hope to over 15,000 area residents affected by over 2,500 local disasters—from house fires to floods, and even tornados—you were there.

So, on behalf of everyone throughout our region, I send this heartfelt “Thank You!”
Warm regards,

Vikki Pryor
CEO, American Red Cross Metro NY Region

A Day in the Red Cross Jacket: A Ride-Along with the Metro New York Red Cross

Story and photos by Amanda Grzymala

On the blustery night of Thursday, Feb. 10, I scoured my Manhattan College campus for a friend with work boots, size 9, that I could borrow. When packing for college this year (I’m a junior), I did not figure work boots into the equation, but I guess I should have. The following day, I was getting the chance to go on a “ride along” with the Metro New York Red Cross. In order to accompany a Disaster Response team, I needed to wear sturdy boots that would not be afraid of dirt.

I had been working as an intern in the Marketing and PR department for two weeks when I was given this opportunity to see firsthand where the real difference is made, what we in Metro NY are fundraising for, and how we as an organization provide crucial services to New Yorkers displaced by disasters.

Although I woke up a bit earlier and a bit more energetic than most mornings, my commute to the office seemed to drag because of anticipation. When I bounded into the office, I was escorted to the building’s Disaster Response area and was fitted with all the essentials needed by a responder: a walkie-talkie, a Red Cross jacket and a bag containing a hard hat and paperwork. Not to mention video equipment. As the Marketing and Public Relations intern, my task was to document and record. All geared up, I was raring to go.

I was to work with two responders that day: Luke Carron and Nell Baird. Both were AmeriCorps volunteers with a few years experience serving the Red Cross here in New York. AmeriCorps volunteers devote their time to a community or national cause while receiving a stipend for living expenses. Luke and Nell welcomed me to their shift and chatted about the upcoming weekend. With light hearts and positive outlooks, both responders were able to keep an upbeat attitude while waiting for the next disaster response. They explained to me that they did not know when they were going to be called out, that it was a guessing game of events. I would just have to sit patiently and wait.

And wait.

Settling back into my usual cubicle in Marketing and PR, I began other work. The excitement began to subside, until a call came ringing in loud and clear around 10:30 a.m. Quickly grabbing my gear, I sped downstairs to meet Luke and Nell, and off we went in a Red Cross van.

 We’re called to a “vacate”

The first incident was one that surprised me, a “vacate” order in the Bronx. When you think of disaster response, you immediately think of fires and extreme nature conditions, not vacate orders. Buildings (or individual apartments) are ordered to be vacated when a city agency has determined that the residence is unfit or unsafe to inhabit. Although intended to ensure the safety and well-being of a building’s or apartment’s occupants, vacate orders often leave residents homeless, many times with little or no advance notice. The Red Cross was called to assist the now ex-tenants. As we entered the home, we learned that two people had been evicted from attic apartments and needed Red Cross help. They were taken surprise by the eviction and had nowhere to go.

That’s when I understood how vital Red Cross help is in these situations and how much good the Red Cross does for those affected. The responders offered the tenants a hotel room for the weekend and financial support for food and basic necessities. They encouraged them to visit the chapter for further support and guidance.

It was after helping to escort one of the clients to a hotel that I realized that this is a truly warm-the-heart kind of goodness that not many interns can say they have experienced.

We respond to a residential fire

Soon after leaving the hotel, around 1 pm, we were called to a fire in the Bronx. This was it. I had known that the Red Cross responds to fires, and had been fortunate enough to never experience one myself. We raced across the Bronx to a residential neighborhood where we saw a multitude of fire trucks pulling up to a blocked-off street. Climbing out of the van, we were ready to enter the madness that accompanies the stress of a fire.

The world seemed a little dimmer as we crossed the police tape and stood beside the firemen and police. They had done their job, putting out the fire and securing the area. Now the task of helping the residents was up to the Red Cross. As we looked up at the building, we could see windows smashed and fire-scorched brick. Displaced residents were huddled on the stoops of neighboring apartments, wondering what they were going to do next.

I could not imagine the worries that must stampede through a person’s mind after experiencing a fire that ruins every possession they own. When we were given the “all-clear,” the responders and I were able to enter the building. I watched as Luke and Nell conducted damage reports on the apartments. I was unable to tell what was damaged beyond repair, what was water damaged and things that were salvageable. Luckily, I was not the one to make those decisions. I did my job, which was to snap photo after photo of the scene.

Then came the questions. We were the link between the fire marshals and the residents, each of whom wanted to know when they would be able to enter the building and clean up the mess. As the day pressed on and they were still not allowed to enter the building, the concern in their eyes gave way to stress and confusion.

After about two hours, safety inspections were completed by the fire marshals and the building was deemed uninhabitable because water and electricity had to be switched off while repairs were being made. Everyone now needed safe shelter for the night—and possibly beyond.

We systematically and carefully walked residents to their apartments to collect essential belongings, then walked them back down to safety. It was difficult to watch the tenants’ reactions as they re-entered the building. Their apartment doors were damaged and their things were soaked or smelled of soot. A woman who knew the tenant from the apartment where the fire started wished to grab paperwork for him, but just by glimpsing the unit, she could tell nothing was salvageable.

As it grew dark and the cold grew treacherous, chilling everyone to the bone, the responders provided hotel accommodations for every person who had no other alternative, arranged a bus to the hotel, and food for the night. They also encouraged everyone to visit the chapter as soon as the next day to receive further assistance and support.

A feeling of gratitude

By this point, my shift and the shifts of the responders I was working with had ended hours earlier. I found this remarkable. The responders are volunteers and employees who give their time, effort and compassion to people they do not know, and may never see again. Luke and Nell took on this heavy work load and did so with a sense of calm and control. An entire building of people had to be taken care of, something that Red Cross responders see often.

This had been a long day. Riding back to the chapter, I let out a sigh of relief. I had an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for what I have been fortunate enough to have in my life, what I have been lucky enough not to lose. As we entered the garage, I was snapped back to reality, seeing yet another van with a team of responders heading out to an incident. This is a living, breathing organization of caring individuals that give their time and energy to others. In fact, each day, the chapter responds to an average of 7 disasters in Greater New York.

I am thankful to be part of such an organization, and as I headed home to fall into a deep sleep, I felt calm knowing that even though my day was over, the Red Cross was still going strong, providing hope to the city that never sleeps.

"The Red Cross gave us blankets, socks and something to eat … all the things we needed.”

Heather Curley, her two daughters and her boyfriend were sound asleep when they awoke to their dog barking and whining loudly at the door of her third floor Bronx apartment. When she went to quiet the dog, Heather saw flames on the other side of the door and smoke starting to pour into the apartment. The next thing she knew, she and her family were climbing down the fire escape to the first floor and out to safety. (Their dog also made it out okay.)

With the Fire Department and the Red Cross already on the scene, Heather looked up at her apartment and was shocked. “Everything was burnt,” she said. “It was crazy; everyone was outside in their pajamas, and they were cold. The Red Cross gave us blankets, socks and something to eat. They provided shelter for us to stay warm ... and all the things we needed.”

After coming to the Red Cross headquarters in Manhattan, Heather and her family were fed and met one-on-one with a caseworker to determine their next steps. Red Cross provided them with emergency housing and given financial assistance to help get them back on their feet. Heather said, “I’ve never experienced anything like this before; it was a dreadful experience, but the Red Cross really helped out.”

Heather Curley from Bronx, NY

With your generous support, you help mobilize direct relief and comfort year round—to people like Heather Curley, across the country and around the world. You're also a foundation for our readiness work – helping people prevent, prepare for and respond to life's emergencies.