VOLUNTEER PROFILE: Dottie Brier, A Red Cross Institution

Dottie Brier has volunteered with the Red Cross since 1992.

by Stan Frank

Dottie Brier earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from Smith College and went on to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Her focus has always been on mental health counseling and helping clients understand, resolve and heal from traumas they had experienced.

In 1992, Dottie retired as a social worker at New York’s Lenox Hill Hospital and joined the Red Cross as part of a national mental health team that was then being assembled. Within a week, she was sent to Florida by the Red Cross to help families impacted by Hurricane Andrew, which destroyed more than 63,000 homes and left more than 175,000 people homeless.

During her career, Dottie has been called on to respond to every conceivable type of disaster. She worked at six tragic aviation incidents including TWA Flight 800 in 1996 which crashed near Kennedy Airport killing 230 people; Egypt Air Flight 990 in 1999, which crashed off the Massachusetts coast killing 217 passengers and crew; and the September 9/11 terrorist attack in 2001, which destroyed the World Trade Center and killed nearly 3000 people.

All of these terrible disasters caused untold trauma to those affected, but the most famous aviation incident Dottie was involved in is Flight 1059, known as the Miracle on the Hudson, when Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger landed his damaged plane on the Hudson River in 2009 and all 155 passengers and crew survived.

In the resulting movie, Sully, which was directed by Clint Eastwood and featured Tom Hanks as Captain Sullenbgerger, Dottie played herself and reenacted the duties of a Red Cross volunteer. Said Dottie, “First things first. ‘Be where the client is.’ ‘Mazlow’s Hierarchy of Needs’ are things we learn early in our social work training. They are well exemplified in the movie by our meeting the immediate needs of the cold, frightened, bewildered passengers as soon as they arrived on land. Physically they needed the warmth of the [Red Cross] blankets and emotionally the calm, compassionate presence of a human being, respecting their dignity by walking them through the mobs of people. Appropriate nonverbal behavior was essential and well done in the movie.”

Commenting on the confluence of March being both Social Work Month and Red Cross Month, Dottie noted:

“The Social Work professional and Red Cross go hand in hand. Our values, especially humanitarianism and the worth of and respect for every human being are the basis of each. I personally am devoted to both and love what I have been doing as a Disaster Mental Health volunteer for over 25 years”.

Thank you Dottie for all you have done and continue to do for the Red Cross! #RedCrossMonth

In Case You Missed It - March 26

Representative Daniel M. Donovan came out to help us install free smoke alarms for residents in Staten Island.

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 265 adults and 87 children following 52 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities (see below).

Last Week in Review

• This past Saturday, the Staten Island Advance (and NY1) covered our efforts to “Sound the Alarm” and help end home fires. Volunteers installed free smoke alarms across Staten Island with some help from Rep. Daniel M. Donovan and the Red Cross in Greater New York’s interim CEO Rosie Taravella.
• As our quest to end home fires continues, we are proud to partner with both NY City Council Member Mathieu Eugene and Westchester County Executive George Latimer who have joined our mission to sound the alarm and help save lives.
• Also this Saturday: the Red Cross’ Logistics and Mass Care teams got together for a functional exercise where they simulated disaster response operations.
• On top of that, this weekend our volunteers assisted the 106th Rescue Wing Yellow Ribbon Event where they helped make care packages for members of the National Guard.
• Earlier in the week we posted a blog story about our volunteers, such as Vivian Moy, who have traveled to New England to help bolster relief efforts of the Massachusetts Red Cross.
• A special congratulation is in order to our very own Red Cross volunteer Judy Goss who earned the title of Volunteer Square’s March Volunteer of the Month.
• As Red Cross Month comes to an end this week, we would like to thank everyone who took the time to celebrate all of our amazing volunteers, including rock star volunteer Iona Opris.
• Among those taking part in our Red Cross Month celebrations is Sullivan County Legislature Luis Alvarez who presented a legislative proclamation recognizing March as Red Cross Month to our Community Relations Volunteer Ambassador Bette Popovich and Senior Disaster Program Manager John Cascone.
• Nassau County Executive Laura Curran joined in on the Red Cross Month festivities, as well, by giving thanks and recognition to some of our volunteers.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• March 26, 27, 30, 31: Red Cross blood drives will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Greater NY Red Cross building located at 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan. Schedule an appointment to donate today.
• March 28: Red Cross Giving Day is this Wednesday and volunteers are being organized to attend “storm the Today Show Plaza” to help cheer on and spread the message of the Red Cross.
• March 29: If you couldn’t get tickets to see Harry Style’s sold-out tour, you’re in luck. If you donate to the American Red Cross disaster relief before March 29th, you enter for a chance to see Harry Styles on tour in New York.

Red Cross Month Volunteer Profile: Hortensia ("Rok") Anderson

by Stan Frank

For over 60 years, the President of the United States has designated March as American Red Cross Month. It is a month when we celebrate our volunteers and supporters who make the mission of the Red Cross a reality.

This month, we are taking a moment to celebrate the volunteers who raised their hands in 2017 to support an unprecedented year of disasters across the country and around the world. From natural catastrophes including hurricanes and floods to devastating wildfires and a tragic mass shooting, the Greater New York Region of the American Red Cross deployed more than 300 volunteers to deliver hope and help during a remarkable time.

We asked several volunteers to share some of their deployment experiences. Today we hear from "Rok" Anderson.

What first motivated you to become a Red Cross volunteer?

I’ve always wanted to raise awareness by educating communities on preparedness and assisting communities by showing empathy for the survivors of any devastation that occurred in NYC.

 (l -r) Zoe Anderson, Jody Oldham, and Hortensia 

How many times have you been deployed, and where?

I was deployed three times, once to Dallas, Texas; once to Santa Rosa, California; and once to the District 1 Headquarters in California. I am presently deployed in Louisville, Kentucky.

What was your most memorable deployment this past year?

My most memorable deployment was to Dallas in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey. In Dallas I worked closely with the late Rosemary Mote, the Regional Disaster Officer for North Texas, on logistical needs. My mission was to assist the Logistics Team with pushing out resources and material in a timely fashion after Hurricane Harvey.

Every day I helped to procure supplies and equipment for the Dallas community. I made sure that requisitions for needed supplies from our warehouse were filled completely and correctly. I input the information in the Transportation Toolkit. I also learned how to open and close facilities according to Red Cross procedures.

Thank you Hortensia for sharing your experience and for deploying to deliver the mission of the American Red Cross. We are grateful for your service. #RedCrossMonth

Supporting our Red Cross Colleagues in Massachusetts

by Beatrice Velline, America Red Cross in Greater NY

Over the past few weeks a series of Nor’Easters have hit the East Coast, slamming New England the hardest. To bolster the relief efforts of the American Red Cross in Massachusetts, several volunteers from our Greater New York chapters traveled to the area and offered their services.  

The storms flooded coastal regions and left many across the area without shelter or power for an extended period of time. The Massachusetts Red Cross led efforts to open shelters, and sent out teams to deliver clean-up kits, food, supplies and support to those effected. 

Among those lending a hand in New England was Vivian Moy, a volunteer from Long Island. Vivian deployed to Massachusetts for one week after answering an emergency request for shelter team members.

Vivian recently shared a few words about her work at a shelter in Cape Cod and about her efforts behind the scenes working at the operation’s headquarters in Medford, not too far from Boston.

“I was surprised that the majority of shelter residents were elderly, so they needed a lot of attention. I would wake at 6:00 am and not lay my head back down until 10:00 or 11:00pm. The days were long but so worthwhile. I would sit with them and listen to their experience with the storm and their family stories…I’m always amazed at all the coordination that happens behind the scenes as we carry out our mission wherever a disaster occurs! It seemed like every time we turned around there were more power outages and hence more shelters needing to be opened and more people needing to be fed.”

To learn more about the work of the Red Cross in Massachusetts  visit, www.redcross.org/ma.

Red Cross Month Volunteer Profile: Ioana Opris

by Stan Frank

For over 60 years, the President of the United States has designated March as American Red Cross Month. It is a month when we celebrate our volunteers and supporters who make the mission of the Red Cross a reality.

This month, we are taking a moment to celebrate the volunteers who raised their hands in 2017 to support an unprecedented year of disasters across the country and around the world. From natural catastrophes including hurricanes and floods to devastating wildfires and a tragic mass shooting, the Greater New York Region of the American Red Cross deployed more than 300 volunteers to deliver hope and help during a remarkable time.

We asked several volunteers to share some of their deployment experiences. Today we hear from Ioana Opris.

What first motivated you to become a Red Cross volunteer?

I was first motivated to become a volunteer because I wanted to learn more about immediate disaster relief and develop skills in emergency management. For over three years, I have worked with refugees post-resettlement and individuals who have been granted asylum in the United States. Providing assistance to individuals who have been affected by disaster, whether man-made or natural, is a priority for me. I have a strong commitment to volunteerism, and I believe that we should all make the time to support our communities by volunteering.

In the Red Cross I found a community of dedicated individuals who I see, time and again, go above and beyond to meet the needs of clients. Whether it's 14-hour work days on a DRO [disaster relief operation] or working through weekends to prepare for an incoming storm, I am regularly inspired by my colleagues.

Where were you deployed and what was your mission?

The Information and Planning Team in Puerto Rico.
Ioana is third from right in center row.

 

I deployed for the first time to Puerto Rico, after Hurricane Maria caused widespread destruction across the island. I worked out of the Disaster Relief Operation Headquarters (DRO HQ) in San Juan and served in the role of Information Dissemination Lead, Information and Planning. 

My role was to gather and analyze operationally relevant information from both internal and external sources and compile it into reports for internal dissemination. I produced the Incident Action Plan (IAP) and Situation Report (SitRep) daily.

After returning from Puerto Rico, I remained on virtual assignment to the DRO for over two months. I continued to fill an information dissemination position and provided virtual support to the team by training new members, translating and condensing Spanish language media, and dropping points in RC View (Red Cross ArcGIS mapping). When needed, I prepared the full IAP and SitRep remotely.

What did you do on a daily basis?

With the exception of conducting damage assessments, almost all of Information and Planning's work is based out of Headquarters.

Each day, I attended meetings with Operations Management. The Operational Leadership Meeting in the morning, where I updated the IAP to reflect incident priorities and objectives for the following operational period. The Tactics Meeting in the afternoon, where I supported the discussion of outstanding needs and fulfillment of supplies. And the Operational Briefing Meeting in the evening, where I reviewed the complete IAP with the DRO Director, Deputy RCCO and activity leads and made any final edits.

The meetings provided a daily structure to my work. The elements that make up the IAP range from contact rosters and work assignments to infrastructure impact assessments, safety messages, and incident maps. I built relationships with activity leads to obtain internal updates as well as informational products from Red Cross partners and government agencies.

Each day I read and selected information from various materials, including mainstream media, government sources, and FEMA reports. Most of the local news reporting in Puerto Rico is in Spanish, so translating became a vital part of my job both when I was deployed and later on virtual assignment.

After the Incident Action Plan was finalized, I edited and compiled the updates received from other activities into Situation Reports to provide an overview of the day's activities.

Although much of my work was done in front of a laptop, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to go out with the water filter distribution teams for a day. We visited communities that had been most impacted by the hurricane and still lacked access to safe drinking water. I was involved in planning for the initial push to distribute water filters (identifying target areas) and it was very rewarding to be a part of the project in action.

Can you tell us what touched you most during your deployment?

Ioana (center) with Clair (left) and Natalie (right)

Working alongside Puerto Rican volunteers was the most touching aspect of my experience. I was moved by their profound strength, dedication and care for their communities. When I left Puerto Rico, official reports showed only 38% of the island with power restoration. Interruptions to water service were frequent, even in areas where water had been restored. Many of the people I worked with continued to face these difficulties all the while going out each day to support relief efforts and volunteer. I am thankful to have been a part of their Red Cross community and for the genuine openness and friendship they showed me when I was there. 


Thank you Ioana for sharing your experience and for traveling to Puerto Rico to deliver the mission of the American Red Cross. We are grateful for your service! #RedCrossMonth

Volunteer Opportunities Available to help Sound the Alarm. Save a Life.

by Stan Frank

This Spring, the American Red Cross will initiate the most ambitious national Home Fire Campaign ever held, Sound the Alarm. Save a Life.. Between April 28 and May 13, 2018, Red Cross volunteers and partners will install, free of charge, more than 100,000 smoke alarms in high-risk neighborhoods throughout the country.

In addition to alarm installation, Red Cross volunteers will join with local fire departments and other partners to replace batteries in existing alarms, and provide families with fire prevention and safety education. Working smoke alarms in a home are known to cut the risk of death by half and having an escape plan further improves the odds of survival.

In the Greater New York Region, Joe Spaccarelli, Program Director, and his Home Fire Preparedness Team including Ailid Ramos, are organizing volunteer recruitment for high risk neighborhoods in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Mount Vernon, and on Long Island.

There are so many ways to get involved. From going door to door to canvassing neighborhoods to serving as a logistics volunteer to working with our information management team, there is a position available for whatever interests you.

Here are some of the volunteer opportunities available with the Sound the Alarm campaign:

• Volunteer Canvasser: Canvas neighborhoods to obtain requests for the installation of free smoke alarms
• Volunteer Smoke Alarm Installer: Install smoke alarms and replace batteries as needed in homes and apartments
• Volunteer Safety Educator: Deliver fire prevention information in high-risk neighborhoods and assist residents in completing home fire escape plans
• Volunteer Documenter: Document resident information and the services provided
• Volunteer Driver: Serve as a driver and transport volunteer teams to installation sites
• Volunteer Operations: Operations volunteers will lead operational planning for installation event days.  Typical roles include Job Director, AD Ops, and Site Director.  Volunteers will be given mentoring and guidance in fulfilling these leadership positions.
• Volunteer Logistics: Maintain program inventory; pick, pack and transport equipment, supplies and team members to installation sites
• Volunteer Mass Care: Obtain and serve meals at events; setup and cleanup before and after events; coordinate with Logistics and monitor the inventory of mass care supplies and equipment, as needed
• Volunteer Information Management: Using our web-based online system, keep track of the progress of our installation teams during events
• Volunteer Call Center: Retrieve voicemails and resident requests for education and installation of smoke alarms; call residents to confirm or reschedule fire appointments
• Volunteer Data Entry: Using Excel, enter data into online forms; ensure that clients receive timely installation appointments; track, analyze and report data accurately
• Volunteer Mapping/Planning Appointments: Using online Geographic Information System (GIS), help plan the routes and map the confirmed appointments that field teams use to navigate through the five boroughs
• Volunteer Training: Provide on-site training for Home Fire Educators, Documenters and/or Installers
• Volunteer Staffing: Using phone calls and emails in the days leading up to events, ensure each event is staffed with an adequate number of volunteers

Join us this fall to Sound the Alarm. Save a Life. and help #EndHomeFires. 

New Volunteers: Visit SoundtheAlarm.org to sign up today!
Existing Volunteers: Sign up on Volunteer Connection!

Red Cross Month Volunteer Profile: Deepak Shenoy

by Stan Frank 

For over 60 years, the President of the United States has designated March as American Red Cross Month. It is a month when we celebrate our volunteers and supporters who make the mission of the Red Cross a reality.

This month, we are taking a moment to celebrate the volunteers who raised their hands in 2017 to support an unprecedented year of disasters across the country and around the world. From natural catastrophes including hurricanes and floods to devastating wildfires and a tragic mass shooting, the Greater New York Region of the American Red Cross deployed more than 300 volunteers to deliver hope and help during a remarkable time.

We asked several volunteers to share some of their deployment experiences. Today we hear from Deepak Shenoy

What first motivated you to become a Red Cross volunteer?

Deepak (near right) and his team

I became a Red Cross Volunteer around the time Hurricane Harvey and Irma were on the verge of hitting us. One of my good friends lives in Florida with her son and she messaged me the night before the Hurricane hit that she is sending me the text as a 'good bye' since she didn't know what  her state was going to be after the Hurricane. She didn’t know if she was even going to be alive. I read her message the next morning and that message made me feel extremely helpless. That’s when I decided that I had to do something to help. I signed up with the Red Cross that same afternoon.

How many times have you been deployed, and where?

My deployment to Sacramento, California for the wild fire there was my first and only deployment to date. It was very memorable and it was my first deployment. Houses had been burned to the ground, animals had been killed, people’s lives and livelihood were destroyed, and yet I came across people who despite all odds were smiling, living and treating each other like family and that is something I will never forget.

What was your mission? What did you do on a daily basis?

My mission was to help the people as much as possible and to make myself useful to the community I was deployed to serve. I was in a group of six Red Cross volunteers including Jamie, Khaled, and me (DES Team), and Skip and Sage (Emergency Response Vehicle Team). Every morning we would load up our box trucks with supplies and drive to Bangor and/or Luma Rica to hand out supplies to whomever needed help. At the end of the day we would drive back to the warehouse, load up the trucks again, and help out with whatever else the warehouse manager needed us to do.

The team: Jamie, Sage, Skip, Mike, Khaled and Deepak.

What obstacles did you face?

The biggest obstacle we faced was living away from our families. However, the obstacles we faced were minuscule compared to the mountain of obstacles the locals faced from the fire and destruction! We would always return back to our respective homes and resume life from where we had left off but, unfortunately, for the people living there, that was their lives.

Can you tell us what touched you the most during your deployment?

The thing that touched me the most during my deployment was people’s resilience. Their willingness to work together to ensure everyone was safe and to help each other by working together as a community was extremely noteworthy. It was an example of humanity coming together to face a common obstacle. Everyone I spoke with knew what they were facing and what it meant for their future, but they still smiled, helped out their neighbors, and bravely survived a disaster.

Thank you Deepak for sharing your experience and for traveling to California in October 2017 to deliver the mission of the American Red Cross. We are grateful for your service. #RedCrossMonth