Tuesday, September 14, 2021

The American Red Cross in Greater NY Responds to Hurricane Ida

Since remnants of Hurricane Ida caused devastating flash flooding in our area, Red Cross teams have been working around the clock to provide safe shelter, cleanup supplies, emotional support, and more.


September 17 - Linda Jo Diamond is passionate about volunteering. Before joining the Red Cross, she was a Peace Corp Volunteer for 2 and a half years. Today, she is working as an Red Cross Caseworker for those impacted by Hurricane Ida. This is her first deployment. She said "I guess you could say I have the volunteer bug" On her work , she says "the community has embraced us and I love helping in some small way." If asked if she will deploy again, Linda Jo replied with a smile: "I just updated my availability." (Photo: Abigail Adams)



September 13 - Red Cross caseworkers have been working around the clock to help people impacted by Hurricane Ida. Susan Lund, who is from the Eastern Connecticut Chapter, says she does the work because she loves to help people. Red Cross workers, like Lund, bring hope to people when they need it most. She was given a paper flower by a woman she helped recently. The woman told her: "Yesterday I was depressed , today I am not because of you." (Photo: Abigail Adams)



September 13 - Lisa is a relatively new volunteer with the American Red Cross Metro NY North Chapter and the response to Hurricane Ida was her first experience working in shelter. When asked what she did at the Mamaroneck facility supporting dozens of evacuees, she said: "I problem solved. I even put my Spanish into use. The work is incredibly rewarding." Lisa, who lives nearly, added emphatically: "This is my community!" (Photo Abigail Adams)



September 10 - Milton Parra was one of many Queens residents who welcomed a Red Cross cleanup kit. He explained how high the floodwater reached on his back fence and pointed to a new crack in his basement wall, from which he had already removed all of the sheetrock. He explained: "we don't have proper drainage here," and when the water got high this time, the cars riding up Astoria Boulevard made matters worse by creating waves which flowed down the alley behind his house. (Photo: Kevin Suttlehan) 



September 10 - A Red Cross volunteer delivers cleanup supplies in East Elmhurst, Queens, a community badly hit by flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida. (Photo: Kevin Sullehan)



September 5 - Woodside, Queens resident, Max Pina had been cleaning his house for several days after Hurricane Ida. During the storm, the water outside his home rose as high as six feet and all his plumbing backed up. The walls in his house as well as his toilets and floors were all severely damaged. As Red Cross volunteer Mary Cueva handed him a clean-up kit, Max, relieved, replied “good timing!” (Photo: John Eng)



September 4 - Red Cross volunteers like Manuel and Bernadette are available to help NYC families affected by Hurricane Ida at any of the five NYC Service Centers located in each borough.



September 4 - Red Cross Team at Floral Park delivering food to shelter assisted living residents who have mobility issues.



September 4 - Partner Bill Cusano from Meals on Main Street by Caritas shows his support of the community members staying at the Mamaroneck by delivering meals.



September 3 - Red Cross teams canvassed neighborhoods across Greater NY, assessing flood damage, distributing cleanup supplies and sharing information with residents about Red Cross services. Richard Sanford and fellow volunteers spent a good part of their day in Woodside, Queens where families faced feet of water in their homes, submerged cars and lost belongings.



September 1 - After historic flooding forced Betty Montiero from her Mamaroneck home, she and her family found refuge at a Red Cross shelter. (Photo credit: Kevin Suttlehan)








In Case You Missed It

Red Cross volunteers providing canteen services at the 9/11 memorial
at the St. Patrick's Cathedral. (Photos: Vivian Moy)
Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross has continued to support communities affected by Hurricane Ida. In addition, we have continued to provide providing emergency assistance to individuals affected by other local disasters, mostly home fires.

Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below)

Last Week in Review

Upcoming Events and Activities

Wednesday, September 8, 2021

In Case You Missed It

Dozens of residents forced from their homes have found refuge at a Red Cross shelter
at Mamaroneck High School. (Photo: Kevin Suttlehan)

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross has activated to support communities impacted by Hurricane Ida. In addition, we have continued provide providing emergency assistance to individuals affected by other local disaster responses, mostly home fires.

Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below)

Last Week in Review

Upcoming Events and Activities


Saturday, September 4, 2021

FOR RELEASE: RED CROSS CONTINUES TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN GREATER NY FOLLOWING HISTORIC FLOODING

A Red Cross volunteer distributes cleanup supplies to 
flood-affected neighborhoods in Queens

NEW YORK, September 4, 2021The American Red Cross in Greater New York continues to work around the clock to support families forced from their homes due to the devastation caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida. The storm brought historic flooding, forced families from their homes and severely damaged vehicles, property and belongings, across NYC, Westchester County, Greenwich, Conn. and Long Island.

NYC

In NYC the Red Cross is working closely with City partners to provide emergency housing to displaced households. To date, the Red Cross has housed 77 individuals from Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn and the Bronx with safe lodging, in partnership with NYC. The organization is also actively seeking out additional families in need of services. In NYC, residents in need of assistance due to the storm are urged to call 311 or 877 RED CROSS (press 1 when prompted).

Starting today, the Red Cross will be present at NYC Service Centers – alongside multiple agencies and organizations who are available in person to discuss storm-related issues — in each borough. For the locations of these centers, along with online resources for affected residents, visit www.nyc.gov/ida.

Red Cross teams are also out canvassing NYC communities to complete disaster assessments and distribute clean up supplies.

Westchester County and Greenwich, Conn.

In Westchester County, the Red Cross shelter at Mamaroneck High School (1000 W Boston Post Rd, Mamaroneck, NY 10543) remains open for displaced families. Since Wednesday, more than 125 residents have stayed at the facility where Red Cross volunteers are providing food, water and other support. Red Cross teams are also out canvassing communities in Westchester and Greenwich to complete disaster assessments and distribute clean up kits.

Long Island

Since Thursday, the Red Cross has been assisting residents forced from a senior center in Elmont because of storm damage, providing emergency housing to 16 residents. The Red Cross has also completed disaster assessments and distributed clean up kits to affected residents.

Condolence Teams

In response to the heartbreaking loss of life caused by the storm, trained Red Cross mental health and spiritual care volunteers are reaching out to families in New York State who have lost loved ones to offer one-on-one support and provide financial assistance.

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @redcrossny.

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

In Case You Missed It

Red Crossers enjoying Mets game courtesy of LI Red Cross Board Member Ming Chiang.

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 96 adults and 37 children for 42 local disaster responses. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below)

Last Week in Review

Upcoming Events and Activities

Friday, August 27, 2021

9/11 Reflections from Greater New York Red Cross CEO

On September 11, 2001 I was on the #4 Train on my way back to my home in Brooklyn from a breakfast meeting in Midtown earlier that morning. I was going to get my suitcase at home and then grab a cab to LaGuardia to head to an out of town business meeting in Colorado.

Just as the train pulled into Fulton Street (under the WTC) around 9:30am, it came to a halt and we just sat there with no information because cell phones did not work underground in those days. After a time, the doors to the train opened and several people covered in ash and blood boarded the train in panic and told us that two commercial airliners had crashed into the Twin Towers.

They finally allowed the train to move forward to the Brooklyn Bridge station and then told us to evacuate. As I left the train station – the dust and ash in the air made it look like a blizzard and as I looked back, I saw the Twin Towers collapsing as if it were a melting wedding cake. In a state of shock and disbelief, I crossed the Brooklyn Bridge on foot and walked to my home in Carroll Gardens. As I was walking towards my home, I saw memos and other papers that had blown across the river from the impact of the explosion in the tree in my garden. They were from Cantor Fitzgerald, one of the businesses that were decimated during the attack.

When my husband finally got home that evening, the first thing we agreed on was to go to the Red Cross Blood collection site then in Brooklyn Heights to donate blood to the victims. The line was long and the Red Cross volunteers came out and told us they were not collecting because sadly, the hospitals were not admitting any survivors. In the days that followed, I made a donation to the Red Cross and also brought some batteries to a Red Cross station near the site. What haunts me to this day, are all the posters that were placed all over the city for people looking for loved ones. I will never forget that day for the rest of life and I am so glad that the Red Cross was there to help and is helping us to commemorate that unspeakable tragedy.

Mary J. Barneby


Tuesday, August 24, 2021

In Case You Missed It

Red Cross distributing clean-up kits in Staten Island and Mamaronek after Hurricane Henri. (Photo: Eli Dardis)

Over the last seven days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 121 adults and 37 children for 62 local disaster responses. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below)

Last Week in Review

Upcoming Events and Activities