In Case You Missed It - Feb 23

Long Island Red Cross Mental Health Volunteer Larry Kasten comforts
Hempstead resident at shelter after 5-alarm fire. (Photo: Lisa Weatherbee)

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 203 adults and 88 children following 91 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of some upcoming events.

Last Week in Review 

• Over the weekend, the Red Cross teamed up with the US Merchant Marine Academy to train 200 freshman midshipmen to provide support at Red Cross shelters in our region.
• On Saturday, Long Island Red Cross volunteers supported Hempstead residents returning home for the first time since Thursday's massive fire by distributing fire clean-up kits.
• After handing out those clean-up supplies and heading back to our Mineola HQ, volunteer Bruce Vesloski witnessed a car get T-boned by another vehicle. Bruce proceeded to provide comfort to the woman trapped in her vehicle while firefighters and emergency responders worked to free her. Way to go Bruce!
• That massive 5-Alarm fire in Hempstead, N.Y. occurred on Thursday afternoon and it tore through an apartment building and forced hundreds to evacuate their homes in the bitter cold. Red Cross teams assisted affected residents by setting up a relief center at Hempstead High School where safe shelter, food, health assistance and emotional support were provided. Dozens of residents stayed overnight over the course of two nights.
• Wednesday night, volunteers from the Metro New York North Red Cross were at the scene of a building fire in downtown Yonkers. Working in close partnership with Yonkers city agencies, the Red Cross provided support to first responders and temporary housing and emergency financial assistance to four families.
• Earlier in the week, to help kickoff the annual Westminster Dog Show, we shared a few tips to help your pets stay safe and warm this winter, along with photos of some really cute dogs.

Post by American Red Cross in Greater New York.

Upcoming Events

• Feb. 25 & 27: Red Cross blood drive; 1 to 7pm; 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan. Click here to register.
• Feb. 25: Thank you event for LI Red Cross partner Rallye Motors.
• Feb. 28: Disaster mental-health volunteers from across the region will gather at our regional HQ in Manhattan for a seminar on mass casualty incidents.
• Feb. 28 – Mar. 1: As part of the Red Cross Home Fire Preparedness Campaign, volunteers will be out in the Bronx, Staten Island and Long Beach, N.Y. installing free smoke detectors and talking to residents about fire safety.
• Mar. 1: Beginning of Red Cross Month!
• Mar. 10: The Brooklyn Nets will host an American Red Cross Awareness Night (versus the New Orleans Pelicans). For every discounted ticket sold at this web site, the Brooklyn Nets will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Red Cross. If 200 tickets are sold, the Red Cross will be honored with a special halftime recognition.

In Case You Missed It- February 16

Red Cross staff members alongside representatives from the American Kennel Club, AKC Reunite and NYC OEM. 

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 146 adults and 46 children following 62 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of some upcoming events.

Last Week In Review 

One of the many gifts placed in "Comfort Kits" assembled by Primrose Elementary School kids in honor of Stephanie Crispanelli. 

• Over the weekend, AKC (American Kennel Club) Reunite announced their donation ofa pet relief supply trailer to the American Red Cross and NYC OEM. The gift will allow us to provide additionalpeace of mind to displaced pet owners affected by disasters.
• The Red Cross and Primrose Elementary School in Somers, N.Y. teamed up last Friday to honor the life and legacy of Stephanie Crispinelli by making special comfort kits for children affectedby local disasters. Crispinelli, a passionatehumanitarian, lost her life during the Haiti Earthquake in 2010.
• On the same day, our Community Relations team met with Staten Island Assembly Member NicoleMalliotakis to discuss Red Cross services in her district.
• Early Friday morning, the Red Cross provided 6 Brooklyn families withtemporary lodging and emergency financial assistance after a fire on Nichols Ave. left them homeless.
• On Wednesday more than 60 members of the Veterans Mental Health Coalition of NYC, along with Red Cross Service tothe Armed Forces staff, gathered at our headquarters for a lecture on the issues facing women veterans. Among those in attendance were retiredU.S. Army Brigadier General and current NYC Commissioner of Veterans’ Affairs,Loree Sutton
• On Tuesday, the Red Cross provided temporary housing and emergency care to severalresidents following a fire on Prospect Park West in Brooklyn.
• To help residents prepare for a brutal wave of arctic cold, we shared someimportant resources (and tips) throughout the week to help keep New Yorkers and their families safe. 

Upcoming Events

• Feb. 16, 19 and 21: Red Cross blood drives; 1 to 7pm; 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan. Click here to register.
• Feb. 21: Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) volunteers will provide information and support to service members returning from deployment and their family members at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown, N.Y. Learn moreabout our SAF program.
• Feb. 21: The Long Island Red Cross will train students at the Merchant Marine Academy in  Great Neck, N.Y. to assist displaced residents at Red Cross shelters following local disasters. Learn more about the Long island RedCross.
• Mar. 10: The Brooklyn Nets will be hosting an American Red Cross Awareness Night. Forevery discounted ticket sold here versus the New Orleans Pelicans, the Brooklyn Nets will a portion pf the proceeds to the Red Cross. If 200 tickets are sold, the Red Cross will honored with a special halftime recognition.

Getting Down to Business: Local Leaders Turn to the Long Island Red Cross

By Joe Spaccarelli

It’s a typical cold winter Wednesday morning for most business executives with the exception of a small intimate group of CEOs gathering for The Hauppauge Industrial Association’s (HIA-LI) CEO roundtable event. A special session where local leaders gather to share success stories, insights, philosophies and network.

The event’s featured speaker is John Miller, CEO, Long Island Red Cross.

As leaders and attendees arrive, coffee in hand, networking prior to the main presentation, inquiring minds already want to know what a humanitarian relief volunteer organization has in common with their respective businesses. The answers, as they would soon come to find out, will be surprising to many.

John warmed up the crowd by providing a brief overview of the Red Cross lines of service and described our local footprint here on Long Island followed by a personal recount of Superstorm Sandy and the extraordinary impact that it had here locally.

John then took the group through an interactive presentation that was peppered with inquisitive questions from many of the thought leaders trying to seize the golden nuggets of wisdom drawn from John’s field tested strategies, tactics and years of experience.

The centerpiece of the discussion was the transformation of the local chapters of the Red Cross (Nassau, Suffolk and Shelter Island) into a single organization under a unified leadership structure. The transformation encompassed the Chapters, Board of Directors, leadership team, staff and even volunteers. It was done with compassion and respect for the individual at every level. Transparent to those in need, our responses continued as the organization took shape. It’s something that could be akin to building an airplane in flight.

John covered a multitude of topics and issues that most organizations struggle with such as Leadership development, succession planning, board development, revenue generation, and employee (and volunteer) engagement. With each topic came a rapid-fire inquisition from the highly engaged audience.

At the conclusion of the event, engaged participants found the answers to their lingering question from earlier that morning; Running an organization designed to provide relief efforts to “unscheduled” catastrophic events with little or no warning, utilizing the power of volunteers and donors resources at a moment’s notice is no small feat. It takes guts, precision planning, leadership, organization, financial and human resources, collaboration, coordination, role and goal clarity, concise communications, preparedness and processes just to name a few.

Leading the effort is a leadership team that is aligned, supportive, transparent and open to continuous improvement. But the single most important ingredient that makes this model work is the desire, drive, willingness and passion of the donors and volunteer all aligned and focused on how to make a difference in the lives of those impacted.

In Case You Missed It - Feb 9

Red Cross at the scene of Metro North train crash in Valhalla, N.Y.

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 141 adults and 46 children following 54 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of the week ahead.

Last Week in Review 

Gail Colaccico with Marilyn and Terry Lotz, long time blood drive volunteers
who were recognized at West Point Black and Gold Volunteer Awards Ceremony.

• Over the weekend, the Red Cross provided temporary housing and emergency financial assistance to seven families in Bay Shore (Long Island) who were forced to evacuate their apartment building due to a dangerous carbon monoxide leak that was discovered by a fire marshal. The news story indicated that residents had been using their stoves to heat their homes, which can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning as well as home fires.
• On Friday, Volunteer Services Manager Debbie Gibbons was the recipient of our quarterly employee recognition award. Congrats Debbie!
• Last Thursday, Red Cross Pet Therapy and Blood Services volunteers from our Metro New York North Chapter were recognized by the staff of West Point at their quarterly Black and Gold Volunteer Award Ceremony. Gail Colaccico was selected from a pool of over 30 nominees and presented the prestigious Volunteer of the Quarter award. Gail chairs our West Point volunteer committee, coordinates our blood drives and volunteers at Keller Army Hospital. Way to go Gail and many thanks to all our West Point volunteers!
• Tuesday evening, Red Cross volunteers and employees raced to the scene of a tragic commuter train crash in Valhalla, N.Y. to comfort devastated community members and to support first responders. Red Cross support continued for several days.
• On Monday, more than one hundred residents from Washington Heights were forced to evacuate their homes in the bitter cold due to a carbon monoxide leak on W. 163rd Street and Fort Washington Avenue. Working with City agencies, the Red Cross was able to provide comfort and warmth to the residents before the evacuation was lifted 10+ hours later and they were allowed back into their homes.
• How dedicated are Red Cross volunteers? Last week, we posted a video of Nade Coulibaly-Doucoure, who got married one week and then deployed to a Winter Storm Juno shelter in Cape Cod the following week! 

Upcoming Events

• Feb. 9: Red Cross blood drive; 1 to 7pm; 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan. Click here to register.
• Feb. 11: The Red Cross will host 60 members of the Veteran’s Mental Health Coalition of NYC at our Manhattan HQ for a lecture on the issues facing women veterans. The event runs from 1 to 4pm. Registration is still open.
• Feb. 12: Red Cross blood drive; 1 to 7pm; 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan. Click here to register.
• Feb. 14: Press conference announcing new partnership between the Red Cross and the American Kennel Club. Stay tuned for more info.
• Registration is open for our popular Safety Town program for children! Event in Greenwich, CT runs from June 8 to 19. Event in Scarsdale, N.Y. runs from June 20 to 26.

In Case You Missed It - Feb 3

Red Cross Volunteer Bob Cowart providing warmth and comfort to a child during a
fire response in the Bronx. (Photo: Anastasia Hannah)

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 113 adults and 36 children following 46 local disasters. Here are some highlights of responses and activities from last week and a preview of the week ahead: 

Last Week in Review

Red Cross Volunteers Brian Gerber, Luz Hermida, Veronica Avila & Nanci Banninger providing hot beverages, snacks & warm smiles at the scene of Williamsburg warehouse fire. (Photo: Caroline Sherwin)

• For most of this past weekend and into this week, the Red Cross was at the scene of a massive warehouse fire in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Our teams supported the brave firefighters battling the 7-alarm blaze in extreme conditions, providing meals as well as distributing hot beverages, hand warmers, snacks, water and other relief items. Thanks to all who helped!
• Last Friday, the Red Cross met with Assembly Member Richard Gottfried and thanked him for his ongoing support of the Red Cross.
• Tuesday night, several Bronx residents living on E. 227th St turned to the Red Cross after a fire tore through their building on an extremely cold night. The Bronx Disaster Action Team provided the residents with comfort and support. The youngest of those residents is featured in photo above.
• Earlier in the week, as Winter Storm Juno bared down on our region, the Red Cross mobilized and prepared.
• Thankfully, the storm didn’t dump as much snow as many New Yorkers anticipated, though parts of Long Island did see record snowfall. In response, the Red Cross opened a shelter in New Hyde Park.
• Also in response to Winter Storm Juno, several of our Americorps volunteers were deployed to Cape Cod, MA to staff shelters and perform disaster assessment in the New England region.

Upcoming Events

• Feb 3: Red Cross will be distributing volunteering information at an HSBC volunteer fair.
• Feb 4: LI Red Cross CEO John Miller will take part in an HIA-LI event entitled, "Helping build more resilient communities on Long Island."
• Feb 5: Red Cross Pet Therapy, Blood, and Keller Hospital volunteers will be recognized by West Point staff at the quarterly Black and Gold Volunteer Awards recognition ceremony.
• Feb 5: Red Cross will be distributing volunteering information at a Blackrock Volunteer Fair.