"Red Cross is assisting me in any which way possible."

Fourth of July 2010 turned out to be no holiday for John Peters and his family. The morning of Independence Day, a fire broke out in the church below their apartment located in the Saint Albans section of Queens. As smoke from the fire engulfed their home, John, his wife and their nine-year-old son used the fire escape to evacuate the building.

While his wife and son were taken to the hospital for evaluation, John remained at the scene and met an American Red Cross responder. “They offered me housing and everything, somewhere to stay for the night because I had nowhere to stay for the three-day-weekend,” he explained. His wife and son later joined him at the hotel. The Red Cross responder also took John to Chapter headquarters to meet with a caseworker who would help his family get back on their feet after the fire.

John is grateful for the help he has received from the organization. He said, “I am in a situation and the Red Cross is there to help me, assisting in any which way possible.” Although he was familiar with the work the Red Cross does on the local level, John said he was surprised at the extent of that help.

John Peters, Saint Albans, Queens

"There is no doubt about it. I have the best job in the world."

National Red Cross CEO and President, Gail McGovern, shares her thoughts on what it was like to throw out the first pitch at a Yankee game.

"There is no doubt about it. I have the best job in the world because when I wake up in the morning I’m helping people every day. It is an incredible privilege to be in that position. It’s also such an emotional roller coaster. I’ve seen victims of disasters and the heartbreak of what that is like – it causes such personal sorrow. It’s not only devastating but truly indescribable.

On the other hand, every once in a while, because I’m with the Red Cross, I get to do something that is just delicious. I got a call from our New York chapter and somehow, someway, they worked with the New York Yankees and asked them if they would sponsor Red Cross day. Not only did the Yankees say yes but they put our text message up on their jumbotron and they talked about our mission. They had a presentation on how to be prepared for a disaster and I was asked if I’d be interested in throwing the first ceremonial pitch."

 Read the full story here: http://redcrosschat.org/2010/07/19/throwing-the-first-pitch/

Highlights from our 2010 Volunteer Recognition Event

In It For The Feeling

National Redcross.org profiles a local family of volunteers from Greater New York chapter, the Rundles.

Irving Rundle pulls the pillow over his head to block out the ringing phone. His wife, Damaris, answers.

Irving hears her ask for an address and he knows someone in the community in which he was born has suffered a disaster and is in need of Red Cross services. He closes his eyes and waits for his wife to nudge him.

Four generations of the Rundle family volunteer for the American Red Cross in Greater New York.

When the nudge comes, Irving throws the pillow aside, gets out of bed and dresses. He puts on his watch, noticing that it is 12:15 a.m.

This is the second home fire in less than a week. In the yard a family of five stands near the ashes of what used to be their home, in shock, with nothing left but the nightclothes they are wearing.

The Red Cross arrives at the site with toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, shampoo and other toiletries for the family. There are stuffed bears for the two youngest kids to hug.

A Red Crosser talks with the parents about the situation and the steps that need to be taken to begin the recovery process. Then the Red Cross drives the family to a hotel where they can sleep and eat for the next few days.

Read the full story here.

5-Alarm Fire in Rego Park, Queens

Red Cross teams of responders were on the scene of two five-alarm fires that occurred on July 7, a day of record-breaking, triple-digit temperatures. The two fires affected residents of 248 apartments in two different Queens apartment buildings.

“The Red Cross came in as my knight in shining armor.”

Charmion Tamar and his wife had lived in their basement apartment in Brooklyn for three years, since before either of their two young daughters were born. Charmion, a cook and restaurant manager who is currently between jobs, described it as a pleasant space, with a nice kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, as well as access to the building’s backyard. He and his family were not aware that their basement home was an illegally converted apartment.

One day, after the landlord had locked one of the apartment’s exits, Charmion called the fire department to resolve the issue. Upon arrival, FDNY told him they had to bring in a building inspector. To the Tamar family’s shock the inspector declared the dwelling “unsafe” and told them that they were no longer allowed to remain in the home; they had to find somewhere else to live, immediately.

“The Red Cross came in as my knight in shining armor,” Charmion said. “They arrived before the Building Department.” The Red Cross transported the family to a hotel where they could stay for a few days, gave them a MetroCard to travel around the city and emergency funds for food. Charmion and one-month-old Layla came to Red Cross headquarters days later to speak with a caseworker. “Our caseworker gave us hope that we’d be able to have a place to sleep for the weekend and assistance finding something more permanent,” said Charmion. “It’s a blessing.”

Charmion said that he was familiar with the work the Red Cross does during large-scale disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but he was unaware that the organization assisted local victims of smaller disasters. “For me personally,” he said, “this little thing with being kicked out; my entire world is destroyed. I’m just glad that there’s someone that people in my situation can turn to.”

Charmion is so grateful for the Red Cross’ help that he hopes to be able to return the favor one day. “I would be glad to help the organization in any way I can,” he said.

Ramses Barden's Day at the NY Red Cross

New York Giants wide receiver Ramses Barden spends a day at the Red Cross learning what it means to be a disaster responder.