In Case You Missed It- June 25

Missing Types night at Yankee Stadium 

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 206 adults and 53 children following 53 local responses/events. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (see below)

Last Week In Review

• On Sunday, the Greater New York Red Cross hosted the annual Volunteer Recognition Event, in downtown Manhattan. At this event, we recognized the contributions of our volunteer workforce and community partners as well as highlighted volunteer leaders across the region. 
• Long Island Red Cross CEO Neela Mukherjee Lockel made City and State New York magazine’s Long Island Power 50 list of influencers. 
• On Friday, Neela also participated in a Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) program to enhance our organization’s future leadership capacity.
• For the United Way Day of Action, volunteers from The United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region and Ball Corporation helped the Red Cross be more prepared for future disasters by sorting through donations, and inventorying supplies for disaster kits and emergency shelters at our Middletown warehouse. 
• On Wednesday, the American Red Cross Greater New York chapter hosted over 50 representatives from dozens of organizations to participate in a Tabletop Hurricane Exercise.
• Red Cross staff attended a level 4 disaster tornado exercise at the New York State Preparedness Training Center in Oriskany, NY. 
• Last Tuesday, the New York Yankees brought the Red Cross out onto the field of Yankee Stadium to help promote the #MissingTypes movement to raise awareness for the need for more blood donations.  

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• June 25-30: 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. There are also multiple other locations and time frames for each day. Schedule an appointment to donate.

In Case You Missed It- June 18

Guests at the 'Heroes Among Us' Gala (Photo: Lori Ann Pizarelli)

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 162 adults and 47 children following 47 local responses/events. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (see below)

Last Week In Review

• On Friday night, the Long Island Red Cross hosted their ‘Heroes Among Us’ Gala honoring local heroes and partner organizations for their commitment to giving back. Check out News 12 coverage of the event. Also, radio station WBAB featured one of the night’s honorees, John Ash, on their weekly segment, ‘First Responder Fridays.’
• Over the weekend on Staten Island our home fire team volunteers partnered with the FDNY, taking part in their open house and installing free smoke alarms in the borough. 
• Red Cross volunteers were out supporting the Queens 10k in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. They prepped ice bags before the race and served as medical spotters at the finish line. 
• A man is being hailed as a hero for saving his neighbor from a fire in Brooklyn, Greater NY Red Cross volunteers assisted eight people living in the building. 
• Metro NY North Red Cross volunteers assisted 9 families, 19 adults and 7 children, who were displaced by a tragic home fire. No injuries were reported. 
• Last week our dedicated volunteer Vivian Moy spoke at PS244Q, educating first and second graders about her experience volunteering with the Greater NY Red Cross. 
• Are you the #MissingType? American Red Cross launched their national #MissingTypes social media campaign promoting the need for more new blood donors. Celebrities, major companies, politicians, and others have taken part in the campaign.
• Teens learned what it takes to become a certified babysitter! The program took place at the Brentwood Public Library over the weekend.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities 

• June 18-25: 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. There are also multiple other locations and time frames for each day. Schedule an appointment to donate.
• June 24: Red Cross Greater New York Chapter is hosting the annual Volunteer Recognition Event, Sunday, June 24th at 11:00 am at Battery Gardens (downtown Manhattan) inside Battery Park. At this event, we will recognize the contributions of our volunteers.

In Case You Missed It- June 11

Red Cross participants strategizing during the 2018 Full Scale Exercise (Photo: Lori-Ann Pizzarelli)

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 113 adults and 34 children following 47 local responses/events. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (see below)

Last Week In Review

• Hundreds of volunteers, partners, and employees from across the region (including in Metro NY North and Long Island) participated in a successful 2018 Full Scale Exercise over the weekend. This was a simulation that allows us to practice and evaluate existing procedures for disaster response. This year’s mock disaster was a hurricane.
• Happy Pride Month! Red Cross volunteers decorated a disaster relief van and supported the Long Beach PRIDE parade over the weekend.
• Red Cross organized a free home fire alarm installation event in partnership with Tzu Chi on Sunday in Queens for residents living in Woodside, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and Flushing.
• June 8th was Deloitte’s annual Impact Day! Employees of Deloitte alongside Red Cross and partners installed over 500 smoke detectors for families in Boro Park.
• News 12 Brooklyn reported on a home fire early Wednesday morning that took the lives of a 36 year old man and his mother. Later that day, Red Cross volunteers canvassed the neighborhood installing free smoke alarms to help prevent future tragedies.
• Our dedicated volunteers in Long Island hosted a mass care training on Tuesday to help prepare volunteers to deliver food and provide shelter following large-scale emergencies.
• Earlier in the week, Red Cross Greater NY CEO Josh Lockwood attended the Call to Lead conference in Orlando where Condoleezza Rice and former president Barack Obama were in attendance.
• American Red Cross announced that 1 million elementary school students have learned to prepare for emergencies through The Pillowcase Project!
• New York City Councilman Chaim Deutsch, a huge supporter of our Sound the Alarm program, has proposed a bill that would require installation of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on every floor of all multi-family and private homes.

Upcoming Events

• June 12, 15, 16, 18: Red Cross blood drives will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. (except June 16th the drive will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) at the Greater NY Red Cross building located at 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan. Schedule an appointment to donate.
• June 14: The Larchmont Fire Department will be hosting a blood drive open to the public from 1 to 6 p.m. You can schedule an appointment or just walk in!
• June 15: The Long Island Red Cross is hosting their Heroes Among Us Gala. The event will take place at The Carltun in East Meadow, NY from 7 p.m. to midnight, attire is black tie (optional) with a touch of red.
• June 16: We will partner with the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and FDNY Foundation to help "Sound the Alarm" by installing free smoke alarms in Staten Island. Learn more by clicking here.

In Case You Missed It - June 4

Long Island Red Cross and partners at the emergency preparedness event

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 118 adults and 70 children following 42 local responses/events. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (see below)

Last Week In Review 

• On Saturday, Red Cross NY volunteers and Citi partnered to assemble 2,000 Service to the Armed Forces comfort kits.
• Also on Saturday, the FDNY emphasized the importance of working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in a new video.
• June 1 marked the start of National CPR and AED Awareness Week! When it comes to cardiac arrest, every second counts. Learn how you can develop the skills needed to act in an emergency and help save lives.
• On Friday, the official start of hurricane season, we joined our Long Island partners to highlight the importance of emergency preparedness efforts before a hurricane strikes.
• With the start of hurricane season, Facebook and the American Red Cross have teamed up to ensure that people are prepared. More than 1.5 million people have joined groups related to hurricane-relief efforts.
• Local volunteers Ross Ogden and Mary Raucho were honored as Red Cross heroes at the Greenwich Town Party for their years of humanitarian efforts and continued devotion to the organization. Congrats!
• For Memorial Day weekend: the Red Cross and Bronx DAT team provided coffee and donuts to over 90 Vietnam Veterans and their families; the NYC Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) team was at the Intrepid with pet therapy dogs from the Hudson Valley Paws for a Cause; and the Long Island SAF team continued their annual flag placement tradition at the Calverton Cemetery.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities 

• June 8, 11: 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. 
• June 10: A free home fire alarm installation event will be taking place this Sunday, June 10, from 10 AM to 2:30 PM! This service is available for Queens residents living in Woodside, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and Flushing.
• June 15: The Long Island Red Cross is hosting their Heroes Among Us Gala. The event will take place at The Carltun in East Meadow, NY from 7:00 pm to midnight, attire is black tie (optional) with a touch of red.

In Case You Missed It - May 14

"Today, I joined the redcrossny staff, fdny, my colleagues & several volunteers to
support the RedCross 'Sound the Alarm' campaign." - Senator Kevin Parker via Twitter

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 124 adults and 22 children following 30 local responses/events. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below)

Last Week in Review

• As covered by the New York Daily News, our huge “Sound the Alarm” fire safety push wrapped up this Saturday in Brooklyn where we installed hundreds of free smoke alarms. Go team! We were aided in our mission by partners like MIRA, the FDNY, and Senator Kevin Parker.
• Volunteers were also out and about Friday in Long Island with us to help #EndHomeFires. It’s with the help of all of these remarkable people that we are able to slowly but surely combat these disasters and save lives.
• Over the weekend, we got pumped for our SoulCycle Charity Ride to benefit the Red Cross Metro NY North chapter in honor of Board Member Stephanie Cowie.
• Early Saturday morning, a fire displaced more than 40 residents in Yonkers. Red Cross volunteers were on the scene with other emergency officials to provide help and hope.
• On Thursday, the wonderful ladies of our Tiffany Circle got together for the “Woman Who Lead” luncheon and panel discussion. Check out our event Flickr gallery.
• A team of AmeriCorps and other Red Cross volunteers headed to the Bronx on Thursday and Glen Cove on Tuesday to teach fire safety and hurricane preparedness to over 400 students with our Pillowcase Project.
• Speaking of our Pillowcase Project, this past Monday boy scouts in Lindenhurst also participated, learning useful tips for disaster preparedness. These guys are rock stars!
• Tuesday was World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day. One out of every 25 people in the world are helped by our volunteers every year. We took the time to celebrate these volunteers who come together every day to make a difference!
• Red Cross staff and volunteers conducted tabletop exercises to stimulate disaster responses.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• If you’re a mission-focused undergraduate or graduate college student seeking a meaningful internship experience, then apply to our Red Cross program—a rare opportunity to explore and enrich your future career prospects while serving others. Apply here: http://bit.ly/2x9lnqV 
• May 17, 18, 19, 21: 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. 
• May 17: The American Red Cross Young Patrons are hosting an “Evening Under the Stars,” a summer rooftop networking soiree. You can find out more and buy tickets here. 
• May 19: We will partner with the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and FDNY Foundation to help "Sound the Alarm" by installing free smoke alarms in Queens. Learn more by clicking here.

Volunteer Profile: Michael Heyert

The #Lucky 13 installed nearly 400 smoke alarms in one day in Nyack!
Michael is fifth from right in rear row.

Michael Heyert is the Volunteer Lead for the Home Fire Campaign at the Metro New York North Red Cross Chapter. He works closely with Maritza Espinoza, Disaster Program Manager, and John Cascone, Sr. Disaster Program Manager.

Located in Greenwich, CT, the Metro North Chapter serves 1.8 million people in Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan and Westchester Counties as well as the towen of Greenwich, CT.

Michael has been volunteering with the Red Cross since 2014, working in Logistics where he helped maintain the necessary program inventory, and transported equipment, supplies and team members to installation sites. Last August, he became Volunteer Lead for the Home Fire Campaign. As Volunteer Lead, he oversees a team of about 50 volunteers whom he can call upon to canvas neighborhoods and obtain requests for smoke alarm installations, install smoke alarms and provide fire prevention information to residents.

Says Michael, “Equally as important as the actual installation of smoke alarms is the preventative function we provide by teaching residents how to prevent fires in the first place. We put a lot of emphasis on the importance of education.”

Michael has been deployed twice, once to flooding in Louisiana in 2016 when he drove an ERV to the Baton Rouge area and served as a Shelter Manager for two weeks. He was also deployed to Houston last year after Hurricane Harvey.

Recently, Michael oversaw a team of 13 volunteers (dubbed the #Lucky 13) in Nyack, N.Y., where they installed nearly 400 smoke alarms in 190 apartments in one day!

“Volunteering for the Red Cross Home Fire Prevention Campaign is a great feeling! Not only are you likely to save lives but it’s fun working as part of a dedicated team,” said Michael. “If you are thinking of volunteering, do it! Don’t be leery! It’s not complicated or hard work. And you’ll feel great doing something meaningful to help your neighbors.”

Thanks, Michael, for all you’ve done and continue to do to save lives from home fires.

Join us this Spring 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 Relief in Far Rockaway

by Beatrice Velline, American Red Cross in Greater NY

One Monday earlier this year, Queens resident Tico Flores awoke to popping noises. At first unable to place their source, he soon saw smoke entering his second floor room and knew his home was on fire. Thankfully, he was able to exit his building uninjured, but once outside he watched, powerless, as his Far Rockaway home was consumed by flames. The fire department soon arrived and put out the blaze, but the house was left beyond repair. 

“I was thinking, 'where am I going to go?'” said Flores of his initial thoughts standing in front of his burned-out home. This anxiety was quelled a bit as volunteers from the American Red Cross in Greater New York approached him to offer some relief. As part of their assistance, they put up Flores and some of his neighbors in a hotel for a few nights. 

“If the Red Cross wasn’t there," he said, "I don’t know where I would have resided.”

Along with temporary shelter, Red Cross teams also provided him with a debit card with some emergency funds, they helped plan out his recovery and they referred him to city agencies for additional relief. 

"I had opportunities to sit down and figure out a game plan," he said, "and of course there was some money too. I had money in my pocket just in case anything popped up.”

Although he lost his home, Flores remains positive: “At the end of the day when you fall down, you’ve gotta pick yourself back up. If you get knocked down eight times you’ve gotta pick yourself up nine."

“Everybody pulled through, they did what they were trained to do,” he said of those who helped him. “Thank God for the Red Cross.”