In Case You Missed it – Aug. 18

Photo: Ronnie Rigos / @rgrigos

In the last week the Red Cross provided emergency relief in the form of shelter, food, clothing, health services and/or emotional support to 128 New Yorkers impacted by 50 disasters across our region. These numbers do not include the hundreds of people helped after last week’s Long Island floods. Here are some highlights from the prior week.

Last Week in Review

 

• Last week, record-setting rainfall inundated communities on Long Island and Red Cross volunteers sprang into action to help hundreds of people affected by the severe flooding. Red Cross teams from across the region—Long Island, New York City, and Metro New York North—distributed flood clean-up supplies, blankets and beverages, conducted damage assessment and worked with families to determine whether further emergency assistance was needed. Read about the response in more detail here.
• August 14 was the anniversary of the Northeast Blackout. Editorial Manager Anita Salzberg commemorated the occasion by asking "Where Were You During the Blackout of 2003?"
• With help from the American Red Cross, volunteers from Southern Baptist Disaster Relief and other organizations are working to rebuild Long Island homes damaged by Superstorm Sandy, and are making their own temporary home on a Long Island college campus as they do the work.
• Wonderful story of how a Yonkers police captain used infant CPR to save the life of a baby and will now attend her wedding 20 years later. CPR can not only save a life, but it can also build life-long relationships. See video report from NBC NY here.
• Several interns finished their summer internships with us and shared what their experience was like here, here and here. Thank you for all your hard work ladies!
• Sadly, last week two prominent celebrities passed away: Robin Williams and Lauren Bacall. Many may not know that Lauren Bacall began her modeling career in 1943 with this iconic Harper's Bazaar cover to ramp up blood donations to support US military hospitals overseas during WWII.