In Case You Missed It - June 29

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 98 adults and 39 children following 48 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming events (see below).

Last Week in Review

• The Metro New York North Red Cross chapter had a busy weekend responding to fires in Mt. Vernon and Middletown. In total seven families were assisted with emergency housing and financial aid was provided to purchase personal items lost to the fires.
• Last Saturday, working with the Lott Carey partner group, Red Cross volunteers installed free smoke alarms and provided fire safety information for families in Harlem's Sugar Hill neighborhood.
• As of last week, several Greater New York Red Cross volunteers and AmeriCorps members were back in Houston, Texas for their second deployment to the ongoing disaster relief operations in the region.
• On Friday, our very own Communications Officer, Michael de Vulpillieres, currently on assignment in Haiti, shared some amazing photos and his own account of the impactful work the Red Cross is doing in the community of Carrefour Feuilles.
• On Wednesday, the Red Cross was recognized at Yankee Stadium for their lifesaving efforts during the pre-game ceremony versus the Philles.
• The highly adorable “Safety Town” program that teaches pre-schoolers the basics of safety in preparation for kindergarten made its debut in Scarsdale, N.Y. and Fios1 has the report. Warning: extremely cute toddlers may brighten your day.

Upcoming Events

• June 29, July 1, 2, 3: Red Cross blood drives; 1 to 7pm; 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan and Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn (July 1 only). Schedule an appointment to donate today.

In Case You Missed It - June 23

Red Cross staff and volunteers supporting 10K Marathon at Flushing Meadow Park.

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 61 adults and 25 children following 36 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming events (see below).

Week in Review 

• Red Cross volunteers served as health spotters at the finish line of Sunday’s 10K marathon in Flushing Meadow Park.
• On Saturday, Red Cross volunteer Lupica Shah appeared on News 12 Bronx to share some great safety tips
• Longtime Red Cross volunteer Richard Sanford shows how he uses his Chinese language skills to help the community.
• Dexia Billingslea speaks on how her family turned to the American Red Cross after a devastating apartment fire tore through their Brooklyn home.
• On Thursday, the Korea Times and Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York stopped by the Greater New York Red Cross to present a check to benefit Nepal Earthquake Relief. A special thanks to the Korean Community for their compassion and generosity for the people of Nepal.
• On Wednesday, the Pillowcase Project was taught to the Ardsely Boy Scout Troop, who had fun learning how to better prepare for emergencies.
• Earlier in the week, we picked up the keys of the newest addition to our Greater NY Red Cross vehicle fleet. Thank you Mazda for the generous donation!

Upcoming Events

• June 23, 25, 26: Red Cross blood drives; 1 to 7pm; 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan. Schedule an appointment to donate today.
• June 24: Before Wednesday’s game against the Phillies, the Yankees will be honoring the Red Cross in a pre-game ceremony. Keep an eye out for CEO Josh Lockwood and other Red Crossers out on the field!
• June 25: Volunteers will conduct follow-up appointments in Staten Island to install free smoke alarms as part of the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign. If you are interested in a full-time leadership position to help prevent home fires in New York City, check out the following listings: Regional Individual and Community Preparedness Manager, Operations Manager, Manager, Information & Planning, Lead Specialists for Brooklyn Operations and Bronx Operations.

Patience, Reassurance and Comfort: Red Cross Helps Brooklyn Family After Fire

By Caroline Hroncich, American Red Cross Volunteer

In early April, 24-year-old, Dexia Billingslea, and her family turned to the American Red Cross after a devastating apartment fire tore through their Brooklyn home. Billingslea, mother of three small children, was also the primary caretaker for three of her nieces and nephews and two of her siblings. The whole family was left homeless.

Billingslea said she first noticed the fire was coming from the children’s room when the terrified family cat went running through the back of the apartment. Alarmed, the Brooklyn native went to investigate what was causing the animal to act strangely. 

Once she saw the smoke, she realized it was a fire. 

“When we were running out, glass was falling on top of our heads, it was coming out the window,” said Billingslea, “So we get outside, that’s when I knew where the smoke was coming from. It was a fire.” 

The fire left Billingslea and her family homeless, she didn't know where to turn. 

“Thankfully, we all made it out safely,” she recalled, “but everything was destroyed inside.”

But less than an hour after the fire, a Red Cross-volunteer came to Billingslea’s side to offer help.

“She was very patient and took her time,” she said, “she stood by my side for hours.”

Along with reassurance and emotional support, the Red Cross also provided the family with a hotel room for a few nights, money for food and clothing, metro cards and help navigating the recovery process.

“She came in, she was very nice, and polite and patient,” she said. “I was trying to stay strong for the children. I didn’t want them to see me cry. She sat with me, and she stayed with me until I left.”

Billingslea also met with a Red Cross case manager after the fire, to help herself and her children get back on their feet. 

“I met with a lady named Lillian, who was my case manager,” said Billingslea. “She gave me book bags, school supplies, because we didn’t have any of those things.” 

Billingslea recently spoke to a group of Red Cross supporters and volunteers about the impact of their assistance and thanked them for what they do for the Red Cross.

“Thank you all! Without the Red Cross, I don’t know where we would be today.”

In Case You Missed It - June 15

Citi employees volunteering at the Red Cross on Citi's Annual Global Community Day. (Photo: Gabe Morales)

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 61 adults and 25 children following 36 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming events (see below).

Last Week in Review

• On Saturday, as part of Citi’s Annual Global Community Day, employees of Citi volunteered at the Greater New York HQ to write letters and build comfort kits to support service members in VA hospitals.
• Also on Saturday, Red Crossers up in Metro New York North were busy cleaning up our Middletown warehouse and pre-canvasing out in Mount Vernon to promote fire safety and sign up residents for free smoke alarms installations on June 20.
• Last Friday, several employees from Endurance Services helped the Metro NY North Chapter by assembling disaster comfort kits, cleaning and organizing the garage and did inventory for our on-site trailer in Greenwich, CT.
• On Thursday, we posted a #RedCrossMoment video featuring AmeriCorps volunteer Riana Lewis who just returned from her deployment to a storm-stricken Oklahoma and shared what that was like.
• Last Tuesday, the Long Island Red Cross participated in a hurricane preparedness seminar hosted by the Township of Oyster Bay.
• Last week, we also posted a Flickr photo album of our Long Island Red and White Dinner Dance that was held on June 4.

Upcoming Events

• June 15, 17: Red Cross blood drives; 1 to 7pm; 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan. Schedule an appointment to donate today.
• June 15-19: Out in Greenwich, CT, Safety Town continues with the second session of its week-long program that teaches accident prevention skills to local pre-school kids before they enter kindergarten.
• June 20: Volunteers are needed to support the upcoming Home Fire Preparedness Campaign event on Saturday, June 20. Volunteers will be in Mount Vernon in Westchester County to install free smoke alarms and ultimately reduce injuries and deaths due to home fires. If you’d like to volunteer for the campaign, sign up on our website by selecting “Home Fire Preparedness Campaign Volunteer.” Current volunteers should sign up through Volunteer Connection.

In Case You Missed It - June 8

Red Cross volunteers installing free smoke alarms in Staten Island. (Photo: Virgina Sierra)

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 69 adults and 15 children following 34 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming events (see below).

Last Week in Review

• On Saturday, Red Cross volunteers were out in Staten Island installing free smoke alarms in the community as part of the ongoing Home Fire Preparedness Safety campaign.
• On Thursday, the Greater New York Red Cross opened up a call center to help support the high volume of calls from people seeking assistance and information from the ongoing storm relief operation spanning Oklahoma City to Houston.
• Tuesday evening, NBC4’s Janice Huff sat down with our regional CEO, Josh Lockwood to discuss the importance of preparing for the upcoming hurricane season.
• Tuesday morning, our proud volunteers showed up at the Today Show to help promote Red Cross Giving Day, which help raise $2,445,106 #allin1day!
• On Monday, Red Cross caseworkers had a busy day at HQ assisting dozens of residents from a Lower East Side Chinatown fire that forced them to vacate their homes. With the help of rockstar volunteer Richard Sanford, the Red Cross was also able to provide translation services to those residents in Mandarin Chinese!

Upcoming Events

• June 8, 11: Red Cross blood drives; 1 to 7pm; 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan. Schedule an appointment to donate today.
• June 8-12: Out in Greenwich, CT, Safety Town kicks-off a week long program that teaches accident prevention skills to local pre-school kids before they enter kindergarten.
• June 10, 11: Volunteers are needed to support the upcoming Home Fire Preparedness Campaign events. Wednesday, June 10 volunteers will return to Staten Island and Thursday, June 11 to the Bronx to install free smoke alarms and ultimately reduce injuries and deaths due to home fires. If you’d like to volunteer for the campaign, sign up on our website by selecting “Home Fire Preparedness Campaign Volunteer.” Current volunteers should sign up through Volunteer Connection.

In Case You Missed It - June 1

Ethan and his family waiting to meet with Red Cross caseworkers after a fire
destroyed their home on the Lower East Side. (Photo: Alex Resnick)

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 165 adults and 56 children following 51 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming events (see below).

Last Week in Review

Residents from Lower Eastside Fire being served lunch while waiting to meet with caseworkers. pic.twitter.com/Za8jbgWeD8

— NY Red Cross (@redcrossny) June 1, 2015

• Sunday night, a 2-alarm fire in Chinatown forced dozens of residents of 73 Monroe St. to evacuate from their homes. The Red Cross provided temporary housing and emergency supplies to 86 of those individuals last night. Today, those families are meeting with Red Cross caseworkers at chapter HQ to provide additional assistance including referrals to city agencies to aid their road to recovery.
• On Saturday, volunteers were canvasing Castle Hill (Bronx) and Port Washington (Long Island) to install free smoke alarms (some by appointment) as part of the ongoing Home Fire Preparedness Campaign.
• Early Thursday morning, DART team members (active and retired FDNY firefighters who volunteer with the Red Cross), were deployed to Texas and Oklahoma to support the relief operations after historic storms rocked several states in the region.
• The deployment of DART was preceded by the deployment of several other local volunteers earlier in the week.
• Also on Thursday, following the success of the two Disaster Volunteer Institutes that were held in Mt. Vernon and Yonkers, the Metro New York chapter held a welcome orientation for 12 new Red Cross volunteers.
• On Wednesday, a 2-alarm fire in Staten Island accidentally ignited by a cigarette served as an important reminder to practice fire safety.
• Last week, the Long Island Chapter and partners kicked-off Hurricane Season by urging everyone to prepare for the unexpected.

Upcoming Events

• June 2: Red Cross “Giving Day,” is our first nationwide campaign in support of our humanitarian mission. On June 2, communities across the country will come together to highlight the day-to-day impact of our organization and ask the public to help us keep helping. Click here to visit the “Giving Day” website. How else can you support “Giving Day”? Become an ambassador and help us spread the word
• June 1, 7, 8: Red Cross blood drives; 1 to 7pm; 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan. Schedule an appointment to donate today.
• June 3: The Young Professionals Council is hosting “Rally for Relief,” an evening of cocktails, great music and much more to benefit the American Red Cross Greater New York!
• June 5: As part of their annual “Impact Day,” employees of Deloitte will be volunteering at the chapter to learn lifesaving skills and to build comfort kits for survivors of disasters.
• June 6: Volunteers are still very much needed to support the upcoming Home Fire Preparedness Campaign event on Saturday, June 6 in Staten Island. Volunteers will be working in teams to install free smoke alarms and ultimately reduce injuries and deaths due to home fires. If you’d like to volunteer for the campaign, sign up on our website by selecting “Home Fire Preparedness Campaign Volunteer.” Current volunteers should sign up through Volunteer Connection.