In Case You Missed It - May 14

"Today, I joined the redcrossny staff, fdny, my colleagues & several volunteers to
support the RedCross 'Sound the Alarm' campaign." - Senator Kevin Parker via Twitter

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 124 adults and 22 children following 30 local responses/events. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below)

Last Week in Review

• As covered by the New York Daily News, our huge “Sound the Alarm” fire safety push wrapped up this Saturday in Brooklyn where we installed hundreds of free smoke alarms. Go team! We were aided in our mission by partners like MIRA, the FDNY, and Senator Kevin Parker.
• Volunteers were also out and about Friday in Long Island with us to help #EndHomeFires. It’s with the help of all of these remarkable people that we are able to slowly but surely combat these disasters and save lives.
• Over the weekend, we got pumped for our SoulCycle Charity Ride to benefit the Red Cross Metro NY North chapter in honor of Board Member Stephanie Cowie.
• Early Saturday morning, a fire displaced more than 40 residents in Yonkers. Red Cross volunteers were on the scene with other emergency officials to provide help and hope.
• On Thursday, the wonderful ladies of our Tiffany Circle got together for the “Woman Who Lead” luncheon and panel discussion. Check out our event Flickr gallery.
• A team of AmeriCorps and other Red Cross volunteers headed to the Bronx on Thursday and Glen Cove on Tuesday to teach fire safety and hurricane preparedness to over 400 students with our Pillowcase Project.
• Speaking of our Pillowcase Project, this past Monday boy scouts in Lindenhurst also participated, learning useful tips for disaster preparedness. These guys are rock stars!
• Tuesday was World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day. One out of every 25 people in the world are helped by our volunteers every year. We took the time to celebrate these volunteers who come together every day to make a difference!
• Red Cross staff and volunteers conducted tabletop exercises to stimulate disaster responses.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• If you’re a mission-focused undergraduate or graduate college student seeking a meaningful internship experience, then apply to our Red Cross program—a rare opportunity to explore and enrich your future career prospects while serving others. Apply here: http://bit.ly/2x9lnqV 
• May 17, 18, 19, 21: Red Cross blood drives will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Greater NY Red Cross building located at 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan. Schedule an appointment to donate today. 
• May 17: The American Red Cross Young Patrons are hosting an “Evening Under the Stars,” a summer rooftop networking soiree. You can find out more and buy tickets here. 
• May 19: We will partner with the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and FDNY Foundation to help "Sound the Alarm" by installing free smoke alarms in Queens. Learn more by clicking here.

Volunteer Profile: Michael Heyert

The #Lucky 13 installed nearly 400 smoke alarms in one day in Nyack!
Michael is fifth from right in rear row.

Michael Heyert is the Volunteer Lead for the Home Fire Campaign at the Metro New York North Red Cross Chapter. He works closely with Maritza Espinoza, Disaster Program Manager, and John Cascone, Sr. Disaster Program Manager.

Located in Greenwich, CT, the Metro North Chapter serves 1.8 million people in Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan and Westchester Counties as well as the towen of Greenwich, CT.

Michael has been volunteering with the Red Cross since 2014, working in Logistics where he helped maintain the necessary program inventory, and transported equipment, supplies and team members to installation sites. Last August, he became Volunteer Lead for the Home Fire Campaign. As Volunteer Lead, he oversees a team of about 50 volunteers whom he can call upon to canvas neighborhoods and obtain requests for smoke alarm installations, install smoke alarms and provide fire prevention information to residents.

Says Michael, “Equally as important as the actual installation of smoke alarms is the preventative function we provide by teaching residents how to prevent fires in the first place. We put a lot of emphasis on the importance of education.”

Michael has been deployed twice, once to flooding in Louisiana in 2016 when he drove an ERV to the Baton Rouge area and served as a Shelter Manager for two weeks. He was also deployed to Houston last year after Hurricane Harvey.

Recently, Michael oversaw a team of 13 volunteers (dubbed the #Lucky 13) in Nyack, N.Y., where they installed nearly 400 smoke alarms in 190 apartments in one day!

“Volunteering for the Red Cross Home Fire Prevention Campaign is a great feeling! Not only are you likely to save lives but it’s fun working as part of a dedicated team,” said Michael. “If you are thinking of volunteering, do it! Don’t be leery! It’s not complicated or hard work. And you’ll feel great doing something meaningful to help your neighbors.”

Thanks, Michael, for all you’ve done and continue to do to save lives from home fires.

Join us this Spring to Sound the Alarm. Save a Life. and help #EndHomeFires.

New Volunteers: Visit SoundtheAlarm.org to sign up today!

Existing Volunteers: Sign up on Volunteer Connection!

Red Cross Relief in Far Rockaway

by Beatrice Velline, American Red Cross in Greater NY

One Monday earlier this year, Queens resident Tico Flores awoke to popping noises. At first unable to place their source, he soon saw smoke entering his second floor room and knew his home was on fire. Thankfully, he was able to exit his building uninjured, but once outside he watched, powerless, as his Far Rockaway home was consumed by flames. The fire department soon arrived and put out the blaze, but the house was left beyond repair. 

“I was thinking, 'where am I going to go?'” said Flores of his initial thoughts standing in front of his burned-out home. This anxiety was quelled a bit as volunteers from the American Red Cross in Greater New York approached him to offer some relief. As part of their assistance, they put up Flores and some of his neighbors in a hotel for a few nights. 

“If the Red Cross wasn’t there," he said, "I don’t know where I would have resided.”

Along with temporary shelter, Red Cross teams also provided him with a debit card with some emergency funds, they helped plan out his recovery and they referred him to city agencies for additional relief. 

"I had opportunities to sit down and figure out a game plan," he said, "and of course there was some money too. I had money in my pocket just in case anything popped up.”

Although he lost his home, Flores remains positive: “At the end of the day when you fall down, you’ve gotta pick yourself back up. If you get knocked down eight times you’ve gotta pick yourself up nine."

“Everybody pulled through, they did what they were trained to do,” he said of those who helped him. “Thank God for the Red Cross.”

Volunteer Profile: Jennifer Pearsall Helps 'Sound the Alarm' to #EndHomeFires

by Stan Frank, American Red Cross in Greater NY

Jennifer Pearsall is the lead training volunteer.

Over these past few weeks, the American Red Cross initiated its most ambitious national fire safety campaign ever: Sound the Alarm. Save a Life. This initiative took place between April 28 and May 13, 2018. During this time, Red Cross volunteers and partners installed, free of charge, more than 100,000 smoke alarms in high-risk neighborhoods throughout the country.

We recently chatted with a number of Red Cross volunteers to learn about their experiences. Here’s what Jennifer Pearsall said about her volunteering with the Home Fire Campaign: 

What motivated you initially to become a Red Cross volunteer with the Home Fire Campaign?

I loved the Home Fire Prevention Campaign because it is a “hand up” program and not just a “hand out” program. Most importantly, in addition to installing alarms, we educate and inform people. We teach them skills that may save lives while we serve and improve our communities.

What kind of volunteering have you done with the Home Fire Campaign?

In the Greater New York Region, I am the volunteer training ead for the "Sound the Alarm' program. I’ve also helped with staffing, been a team lead, gone out as an educator, documenter, and installer. Back home (American Red Cross serving Oklahoma and Arkansas) I was the Pillowcase Project Lead and helped educate over 30,000 kids in a year and provided feedback for what is now the current version of the program.

Can you give an example of a satisfying experience you had while volunteering with the Home Fire Campaign?

Honestly? The Red Cross has really connected me to my community and my fellow volunteers and staff. I started in Greater New York as soon as I could. I moved here knowing not a soul and having never even visited this state! The Red Cross provided me with the opportunity to be a part of what is now my community.

What would you say to someone thinking of volunteering with the Home Fire Campaign?

If you like the mission, then there is a spot for you. We offer opportunities in the field working directly with clients, other opportunities behind the scenes in support functions, and additional opportunities in data entry positions. Do you like having a set time to help? Prefer to come in each week? Whatever your activity and time commitment, we have something for everyone.

Thanks Jennifer for sharing your experience! 

Join us this Spring to Sound the Alarm and help #EndHomeFires!

Visit SoundTheAlarm.org or Volunteer Connection (existing Red Cross volunteers) to learn more and sign up today!

In Case You Missed It - May 7

"Today is extra special to me because 8 years ago my mother and I lost our
home to a home fire right here in Mt. Vernon, NY." -Greg Itis on Instagram

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided services to 2098 adults and 597 children following 50 disasters/events. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (see below)

Last Week in Review 

• For a second week, our Sound the Alarm campaign was in full swing. This weekend, with help from community partners, Red Crossers canvassed homes in Mt. Vernon and Brooklyn, installing smoke alarms and providing fire safety education to residents. 
• For volunteers like Greg Itis, this is a deeply personal experience. 
• News 12 Westchester provided awesome coverage for Sound the Alarm in Mt. Vernon here. 
• On Thursday, volunteers were canvassing Mt. Vernon in preparation for the activity over the weekend. 
• News 12 Long Island and Brentwood Patch also reported on the Red Cross assisting 20 residents after a terrible fire in Brentwood.
• To help promote Sound the Alarm, we debuted a three new PSAs: one highlighting our partnership with the FDNY, a supercut of elected officials showing their support for the lifesaving campaign and lastly this more dramatic one.
• On Tuesday, we livestreamed a panel of impressive speakers to discuss the topic of “Humanitarian Crises Outside the Public Eye” on Facebook. Photos of the panel can be seen on Flickr. 

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• If you’re a mission-focused undergraduate or graduate college student seeking a meaningful internship experience, then apply to our Red Cross program—a rare opportunity to explore and enrich your future career prospects while serving others. Apply here: http://bit.ly/2x9lnqV
• May 8, 11, 14: Red Cross blood drives will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Greater NY Red Cross building located at 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan. Schedule an appointment to donate today.
• May 11, 12: Major “Sound the Alarm” fire safety smoke alarm installation events are coming to Long Island and Brooklyn on May 11 and 12 and we need your help to install free smoke alarms in at-risk neighborhoods and to educate families on preparing for fires. Sign up by calling 877-733-2767 or by visiting soundthealarm.org/nyc for NYC and soundthealarm.org/li for Long Island. 
• May 10: We invite you to the "Women Who Lead" luncheon panel where you'll get to meet the staff and volunteers of the Red Cross and hear from influential women who are changemakers in their field. For more information on the panelists and to purchase tickets, click here. 
• May 17: The American Red Cross Young Patrons are hosting an “Evening Under the Stars,” a summer rooftop networking soiree. You can find out more and buy tickets here.