"I found NYC spirit in the American Red Cross."

When I first arrived in NYC from Italy in December 2007 I had a tough time to find my space and adapt to the energetic and apparent closeness of the people. I was trying to grasp the spirit of the city and its people, of which I had heard so many times, particularly in relation to the incredible examples of resilience and generosity after the tragedy of 9/11. I could not. Then I read about the American Red Cross giving “Reserve Institutes” for potential volunteers. Volunteering had always been part of my life in Italy and most places where I had lived. I also wanted to give something back to the city that was hosting me and my family. I discovered something really impressive: People with extremely different backgrounds and experiences, very interesting in most cases, coming to give their time and dedication. I also discovered parts of NYC where I found extremely interesting stories and cultures. One year later, I am also a DAT (Disaster Action Team) member. I wish I had more time but I also want to be with my kids when I leave work. I feel very lucky, 'cause I found NYC spirit in the American Red Cross. The amazing response to the Haiti earthquake is just the latest example.

–Lorenzo Nesti, New York, NY

"It turned out to be the greatest experience of my life."

We were all shocked by the earthquake in Haiti. I felt helpless and left out as I watched on TV how the world was swarming to help Haiti. When I learned on Facebook that the Red Cross was looking for volunteers, I applied right away. The training process was very quick. Then I got a phone call confirming that I would be on the hospital ship Comfort for 30 days. I was apprehensive, because I wanted to be on land. I thought, “How can I help by being on a hospital ship?” It turned out to be the greatest experience of my life; the best thing I have ever had the privilege to do.

I worked in Casualty Receiving, which was the emergency room that all the patients came through when they arrived. The first two weeks were extremely busy but well-organized. Though I was a volunteer translator, I had the chance to do a lot more than just translating—holding down patients during painful procedures, washing them, feeding those who couldn’t feed themselves because of their new disability, or who were just too weak to do it themselves. It was a humbling experience.

I have many wonderful but sad stories that will always stay with me, but here is one I would like to share: Casualty Receiving was not very busy during the last week of my stay, and most of the patients I normally would visit during my off hours had been transferred to onshore hospitals. I started to visit the pediatrics ward where I brought goodies. One day a girl about 10 years of age called me. “Zanmi, zanmi vini pale ou,” she said. “My friend, can I talk to you a second?” She was lying on a transport bed and was paralyzed from back injuries. The girl had a wonderful smile, and I later found out that she was loved by many volunteers. She was escorted by her aunt, who was not with her at the moment.

The girl asked if I had a pen and a sheet of white paper. Her request was very specific—she knew exactly what she wanted. I jokingly asked if I could give her a pencil instead, since I didn't want to part with my only pen, which I needed to take down numbers to call for patients who needed to contact relatives. I asked her why she wanted a pen. I figured she needed to draw, but she wanted to write a “thank you” letter to the people on the boat. She was pleased with our efforts and grateful for how we cared for her and loved her. That small child was one of many who made me feel I was there for a purpose.

–Emmanuel Guerrier, Queens, NY

“Sometimes it’s the small things that make a big difference.”

When the clothes dryer in his Staten Island home burst into flames, Marc Chernoff rushed his wife, Laura, and their two-year-old son out of the house. A few weeks later, they came to Chapter headquarters to get some advice on how to talk to their son, “to make sure he feels safe and secure,” explained Laura, adding, “We didn't realize the Red Cross helped in this type of situation."

“Our son keeps talking about the fire,” said Marc. “All his stuff was destroyed, and the fire ruined a trip to Disneyworld.” But he said that he and Laura were very pleased that they were eligible for Red Cross mental health counseling and by the fact that “a fantastic woman” behind the front desk at Red Cross Client Services gave them a Mickey Mouse doll for their son. “Sometimes it’s the small things that make a big difference,” said Marc.

–Laura and Marc Chernoff, Staten Island,NY

Timing is everything.

It’s funny how certain dates will never leave your memory, especially when your mind flashes back to the very thing that caused the date to be etched there in the first place. August 29th, 2005, is a day I will always remember—hunkering down with 180 other people in a small, rural elementary school in Hammond, LA, as Katrina barreled through the Gulf Coast. We were in Louisiana on vacation, my friend and I, both Red Cross volunteers from NYC, and, like others who could, we managed to evacuate to higher ground from New Orleans.

Yet I couldn’t imagine being there and not offering to help in some way, even before knowing the magnitude of the devastation that lay ahead. We could have easily jumped aboard a plane the next morning and flown out to safety. Instead we contacted the local Red Cross chapter to offer our assistance since we were trained shelter volunteers. Then we sprang into action, running an evacuation shelter for the next few days. Like that date in our memories—the Red Cross is etched into our beings. It is what we do … it is who we are. I couldn’t have imagined spending that day any other way.

–Sharon Hawa, Bronx, NY

“I fulfill a small but crucial role as a face of the Red Cross.”

I started working as an AmeriCorps New York State volunteer doing community development at the New York Chapter’s Queens office in November 2009. There I work with the Community Outreach team, preparing and training individuals and groups—from five-year olds to the elderly—about how to deal with emergencies. I also interact with local businesses, civic leaders and other members of the community to spread awareness of the humanitarian services offered by the Red Cross and to help create fundraising networks. When I am not running all around Queens by car, I help manage the office.

At Duke University—from which I graduated in 2008—I majored in international comparative studies (focusing on East Asia) and Chinese. I’ve always wanted to live life meaningfully, and for me, that desire involves using my personal skill-set to engage with and offer concrete aid to diverse groups of people. Because my interests range from social justice to humanitarian aid (both internationally and locally), I was drawn to the Red Cross after a brief experience fighting for immigrant rights at a labor union. In the future, I hope to continue working with the underprivileged populations I feel drawn to and to explore the different, most effective ways I can serve them.

During the past few months, I have seen and heard a lot about the Red Cross in action, both locally and internationally. What has been so impressive to me is that whether it’s the folks whose home has been devastated by a fire right here in my neighborhood or the three million affected by the Haiti earthquake, the Red Cross is there. And we are not only delivering much-needed items, but providing the care and concern so essential for someone to get through a crisis.

The Red Cross is a wonderful equalizer, uniting people from all walks and places both to help and be helped. While my daily interactions with the diversity of ethnicity, language, age and interests of my Queens neighbors can be a challenge, it is a welcome learning experience. While, at first, the Red Cross seemed overwhelmingly large because of its global nature, I now realize that I fulfill a small but crucial role as a face of the Red Cross in Queens. To many, I am the only face or voice they may hear. And so it is an honor for me to assist the ongoing efforts of the Red Cross—aiding those in need and continuing the cycle of unconditional giving.

–Eunice Ok, Little Neck, Queens

“Hope can be given.”

I felt a sense of team accomplishment after volunteering at the Haitian Resource Center at the Brooklyn Armory for the past few weeks. Knowing that we helped the evacuees and their families to get immediate resources—clothing, food—as well as setting them on to a path for longer-term recovery made a difference in their lives and in ours. The team members I worked with were diverse in background and experience, but we all had one mission: to assist those who came to the Red Cross. In a time of tragedy, we made sure our clients felt they had support. Sometimes it was just to tell their story, to know that people really cared about them. It’s a reminder that in times of extreme sorrow, some compassion can be felt, and hope can be given.

–Amelia Hennighausen, Brooklyn

“People in Greater NY depend on the Red Cross for hope and help.”

As Director of Government Relations for the American Red Cross in Greater New York it's not often that I have an opportunity to go into the field and see first hand the impact the NY Red Cross has on those affected by disaster or realize the difference our disaster responders make everyday for those who have lost everything.

In January I was asked by Brooklyn Councilman Domenic Recchia to take part in a meeting with 20 men and women from Guatemala whose apartments on 86th Street were destroyed by a 5-alarm fire. The fire claimed the life of a young mother whom they all knew and left her infant hospitalized after she threw him from a window to safety. What made this event more traumatic for them was learning that one of their own had deliberately set the fire. These people spoke little, if any, English, had no "family" other then themselves and the community, and spent their days on street corners looking for work as day laborers.

The meeting was held three days after the fire. Working through a translator I was able to gather information to assist these clients and also able to let them know what services our Chapter was making available to them, including emergency financial assistance for food and clothing.

What stood out for me was despite all they had been through and the uncertainty of what they would do next, they came up to me to offer thanks and prayers for our organization and for me just being there with them. I also spent several minutes with the husband of the deceased woman; he was more interested in talking about his admiration for the Red Cross then about what I could do to help him.

I now have first hand knowledge and a greater understanding of our value to the community. People in Greater NY depend on the Red Cross for hope and help after they’ve been displaced by a disaster, and no one else does what we do to respond to their immediate needs. We are truly the First Humanitarian Responders and an organization well worth supporting––be it by government, businesses, corporations or the public.

–Alex Lutz, Staten Island