In Case You Missed It: Mar 25

Long Island Red Cross staff receiving a proclamation from
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran as part of Red Cross month. 

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 189 adults and 35 children following 48 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities (see below).

Last Week in Review

• On Saturday, ABC7, as well as multiple other outlets, reported on a massive fire in a Melville apartment complex that displaced more than 50 people from their homes. Red Cross volunteers were on scene providing food, comfort, and other aid to those affected.
• Also on Saturday night (and well into Sunday), Red Cross volunteers were providing relief to dozens of residents displaced by a large apartment fire in East Northport.
• Over the weekend, the national Red Cross Facebook page featured our partnership with WIN, the largest provider of shelter housing for homeless families in NYC. Through this ongoing collaboration, Red Cross teaches emergency preparedness to kids and their parents.
• On Friday, STARTEK Global invited the Red Cross to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange! 
• On Friday morning, Red Cross partnered with PSEG Long Island to install free smoke alarms in homes in and around Central Islip. Check out this FIOS1 story about the event as well as these photos.
• Nassau County Executive Laura Curran presented the American Red Cross on Long Island with an official Red Cross Month proclamation.
• On Thursday, Red Cross Mass Care Program Manager Brain Gerber presented at the Multi-Agency Feeding Summit. He discussed mass care preparations for the next hurricane season. 
• On Wednesday, the Red Cross met with Congressman Adriano Espaillat to record a PSA as part of the Sound the Alarm Campaign to #EndHomeFires. Thank you to him for his partnership! 
• On the same day, the Long Island Red Cross held their quarterly All Hands meeting at the Middle Country Public Library. 
• Tuesday afternoon, Newsday reported on a fire that broke out in Brentwood that left 15 people homeless. Red Cross quickly responded and provided aid to the victims. 
• On Monday, CEO Neela Lockel and Communications Officer Mike de Vulpillieries met with WBLI and WBAB to talk about Red Cross Month. Click here to listen to their interview. 

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• Our Summer 2019 Unpaid Internship Program is open for applications! Red Cross Internships are a rare opportunity to explore and enrich your future career prospects while serving others. Our 10-week Summer Program is open to undergraduate or graduate students. The Program starts Monday, June 3rd. Click here to apply.
• We are actively recruiting for the following volunteer positions: Volunteer Screener, Home Fire Campaign Team Member, Disaster Action Team Member, and Community Preparedness Education Program Team Member. Apply today at www.redcross.org/volunteer! For more information, please contact recruitmentgny@redcross.org.
• March 26, 29, & April 1: 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!
• March 27: Once a year, Giving Day brings Red Cross supporters together to help families who have been impacted by a home fire or other disaster. Together we provide urgently needed Red Cross services to help them get back on their feet. You can participate by making a financial donation on Giving Day, or you can spread the word through your network. 
• March 28-31: This year, the American Red Cross in Greater New York will be hosting the 4th Annual Disaster Ready Summit, a multiple-day training event held annually for anyone and everyone who wants to learn how to help the American Red Cross respond to disasters in their communities. Sign up here. 
• May 1: Every day seven people die in home fires and the Red Cross wants to do everything we can to prevent these needless tragedies. Red Cross in Greater New York will be hosting Sound the Alarm events at locations in Manhattan from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Please sign up to volunteer. 

In Case You Missed It - Mar 18

Red Cross Disaster Responders at the 4-alarm apartment fire in Yonkers last Tuesday (Photo by Kevin Suttlehan).

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 109 adults and 22 children following 45 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities (see below).

Last Week in Review 

• Early Sunday morning, the Red Cross responded to a fire in a Ronkonkoma apartment complex, providing immediate emergency needs to the residents of the 11 affected apartments.
• Continuing with our ongoing #MyRedCrossLife Instagram series: last week we featured Barbara Robey, a Red Cross volunteer of 16 years who not only shared her family’s history of volunteering with the Red Cross, but also her current role volunteering with the Emergency Communications Center, and how she made a social impact with it. 
• Newsday reported early morning on Thursday that at least 21 residents were displaced due to a fire in an East Islip Condo. The Red Cross assisted 10 families, providing 21 comfort kits and a stipend for necessities. 
• According to lohud.com, throughout the week, Red Cross Disaster Responders assisted over 150 families displaced due to a massive 4-alarm apartment fire in Yonkers. They set up a shelter at Roosevelt High School during the fire, and provided food, housing and financial assistance, as well as mental health services. Check out the photos taken that night by volunteer photographer Kevin Suttlehan. 
• Celebrating Red Cross Month 
• The Red Cross Greater New York Chapter celebrated by hosting a “Thank-a-thon”, where many team members called to thank the volunteers for their lifesaving work. 
• On Wednesday, executives of the Red Cross Chapters in New York joined the National CEO Gail McGovern as well as other chapters senior staff in a congressional reception to welcome the 116th Congress. 
• While staff members were in Capitol Hill, they met with members of Congress in Capitol Hill like Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and José E. Serrano, providing updates on our service delivery new initiatives and ongoing long-term recovery work in Puerto Rico. 
• The Metro North Chapter CEO Mary Young and their amazing volunteers met with the County Executives from all the regions that they serve, as well as the Town Selectman from Greenwich. 
• Governor Andrew Cuomo proclaimed March as Red Cross Month in New York where Clara Barton founded the first American Red Cross Chapter in Dansville back in 1881. 

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• Our Summer 2019 Unpaid Internship Program is open for applications! Red Cross Internships are a rare opportunity to explore and enrich your future career prospects while serving others. Our 10-week Summer Program is open to undergraduate or graduate students. The Program starts Monday, June 3rd. Click here to apply.
• We are actively recruiting for the following volunteer positions: Volunteer Screener, Home Fire Campaign Team Member, Disaster Action Team Member, and Community Preparedness Education Program Team Member. Apply today at www.redcross.org/volunteer! For more information, please contact recruitmentgny@redcross.org.
• March 19, 22, 25: 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 1: Every day seven people die in home fires and the Red Cross wants to do everything we can to prevent these needless tragedies. Red Cross in Greater New York will be hosting Sound the Alarm events at locations in Manhattan from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Please sign up to volunteer. 
• June 13: The Red Cross Young Patrons provides rising stars with an opportunity to network with other socially-conscious professionals and help leverage the mission of the American Red Cross in the local community. Sign up here to join 'An Evening Under the Stars', a summer rooftop soiree to support the Red Cross, featuring an open bar, dinner, and live music. 

Red Cross Relief After Yonkers Fire

Yesterday evening Red Cross teams rushed to the scene of a devastating fire that engulfed multiple floors in a large six-story apartment building in Yonkers. The blaze forced approximately 150 residents from their homes.

Working in close coordination with the City of Yonkers and led by the Metro NY North Red Cross Chapter, our teams quickly opened a Reception Center at a local school (Roosevelt High School) to serve as a safe refuge for affected households. Available to the families at the Center: food, support and relief items. More than a dozen Red Cross staff were on hand, including health services and mental health volunteers, to offer comfort and care at an incredibly trying time for those impacted. Throughout the evening nearly two dozen residents came by the Reception Center which transitioned to a shelter overnight for those who needed a place to stay.

Today, the school remains open for residents from the severely-damaged building. Throughout the day Red Cross caseworkers are meeting one-on-one with residents to access their needs and to connect families to Red Cross and community resources. As of noon, approximately 40 residents have visited the school for services today. Additionally, meals, snacks and beverages are being served, with the help from local businesses who have donated food.

This work will continue as long as needed.

(photos: Kevin Suttlehan, American Red Cross)

In Case You Missed It - Mar 11

The Metro North Red Cross is among the many chapters across the country raising
our red and white flag in celebration of Red Cross Month.

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 142 adults and 39 children following 48 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities (see below).

Last Week in Review

• On Saturday, Long Island Red Cross volunteers, including board member Jonathan Goldstein, installed a total of 124 alarms in Rockville Centre. Thank you to all our amazing Red Cross volunteers! 
• The Long Island Herald ran an OpEd last week penned by our LI CEO Neela Lockel. Lockel shared some tips to help you be prepared to take care of your four-legged friends in case of a disaster. 
• Continuing with our ongoing #MyRedCrossLife Instagram series: last week we featured Michael Alas, who shared with us how a 2013 super typhoon in the Philippines spurred him on to become a Red Cross Disaster Responder. 
• On Friday, the American Red Cross celebrated International Women’s Day by recognizing the story of the global humanitarian efforts of Red Cross volunteer, Julie Bradley. 
• On Thursday, ABC7 reported that more than 100 firefighters responded to a building fire in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. Red Cross teams were quickly on the scene, helping 12 families.
• Celebrating Red Cross Month, the Metro New York Chapter gathered in Greenwich, Connecticut, to participate in a flag raising ceremony. 
• On Wednesday, the Greater New York Region was recognized for installing more smoke alarms than any other Red Cross region of the country since the program was launched in 2014! 
• Early morning on the same day, a three-alarm blaze damaged two buildings in the Bronx. The Red Cross assisted 15 residents – 13 adults and two children. 
• On Tuesday, we taped a PSA with Councilwoman Margaret Chin to help get the community better prepared and more resilient. #EndHomeFires

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• We are actively recruiting for the following volunteer positions: Volunteer Screener, Home Fire Campaign Team Member, Disaster Action Team Member, Recruitment Support Member, Recovery Caseworker. Apply today at www.redcross.org/volunteer! For more information, please contact recruitmentgny@redcross.org.
• March 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18: 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!
• March 16: Learn about the mission and vision of the American Red Cross and the many volunteer opportunities that are available for you on Long Island. Join us in our Mineola office from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to learn more!
• By March 17th: Show your Game of Thrones pride and sign up to donate blood with us by 3/17 and you’ll automatically be entered to win a trip to the season 8 world premiere of the HBO show. 
• May 1: Every day seven people die in home fires and the Red Cross wants to do everything we can to prevent these needless tragedies. Red Cross in Greater New York will be hosting Sound the Alarm events at locations in Manhattan from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Please sign up to volunteer.

In Case You Missed It: Mar 4

Red Cross Disaster Response Team on duty during the LIRR train derailment in Westbury. 

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 169 adults and 46 children following 54 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities (see below).

Last Week in Review

• Early Sunday morning, CBSNY reported on a deadly fire that consumed the second floor of a Queens house. The Red Cross Disaster Response Team provided housing and financial assistance to the survivors. Outreach Teams also went door to door in the community providing fire safety tips and free smoke alarms.
•  On Saturday, ABC7 News reported on a fire in a four-story brownstone in Manhattan that injured several residents. The Red Cross assisted the displaced residents. 
• On the same day, the Red Cross on Long Island held a pet safety class with the Port Jefferson Station Girl Scouts. The troop learned rescue breathing, pet CPR, abdominal thrusts, first aid, what to pack in a pet go bag, and much more! 
• Continuing with our ongoing #MyRedCrossLife Instagram series: last week we featured Jean Bruce Forrester Cappello, a 13-year Red Cross volunteer and former Clara Barton Award recipient.
• SILive.com reported last Thursday on a deadly fire that broke out in a Staten Island house. Red Cross disaster responders provided emergency housing and financial assistance. 
• On the same day, our CEO Josh Lockwood LI Red Cross volunteer Tom Hlenski took part in panel to discuss disaster preparedness and our response mass shootings. 
• On Tuesday evening after a LIRR train struck a vehicle and derailed in Westbury, the Red Cross on Long Island responded to the scene quickly. Over the next several hours and days, our team provided 1,000+ meals & snacks to emergency workers and affected passengers. 
• The Long Island Press recognized our Long Island Chapter CEO Neela Lockel in their 16th annual Power List. Locke was recognized for her dedication in making Long Island a better place to live. 
• Throughout the week, the American Red Cross in Greater New York met with local elected officials to record public service announcements for their constituents as part of our Home Fire Campaign. Thank you to Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages and New York Senator Leroy Comrie for your partnerships to #EndHomeFires. 
• Last week, we posted this video highlighting our partnership with CDCLI to install hundreds more smoke alarms in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. 

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• We are actively recruiting for the following volunteer positions: Volunteer Screener, Home Fire Campaign Team Member, Disaster Action Team Member, Recruitment Support Member, Recovery Caseworker. Apply today at www.redcross.org/volunteer! For more information, please contact recruitmentgny@redcross.org.
• March 5, 8, 9, 10, 11: 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!
• March 10: Calling all Slayers! Fox Consumer Products and American Red Cross team up or #BuffySlayDay. Grab your Scooby Gang and make an appointment to give blood at @redcrossny, 520 West 49th Street, and get exclusive Buffy product while supplies last! 
• March 16: Learn about the mission and vision of the American Red Cross and the many volunteer opportunities that are available for you on Long Island. Join us in our Mineola office from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to learn more!
• By March 17th: What would you do #FortheThrone? Show your @GameofThrones pride and sign up to donate blood with us by 3/17 and you’ll automatically be entered to win a trip to the season 8 world premiere.