In Case You Missed It

Disaster Action Team volunteers on call in Westchester (Photo: Kevin Suttlehan)

Over the last seven days, the Red Cross in Greater New York has provided emergency assistance to 143 adults and 40 children following 40 local disaster responses. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (See below)

Last Week in Review

• Congrats to Team Red Cross who ran the New York City Marathon on Sunday to benefit the Red Cross mission! We also hosted them at our NYC office before the marathon.
• Last Sunday, our four-legged volunteers Lulu, Mayhem, Milo & Walnut visited a Red Cross blood drive to thank all the donors and helped everyone feel relaxed and happy.
• The Red Cross responded to a building fire in Freeport (Nassau County) on Friday which displaced thirty-two people, Newsday reported.
• Westchester Magazine featured our MNYN Disaster Action Team volunteers, who have helped more than one thousand people recover from disasters in Westchester, Rockland, and Greenwich, Conn over the past twelve months.
• We reminded residents to test their smoke alarms, as everybody should do once per month — and don’t forget to change your batteries when you change your clocks!
• Big thanks to Queens native Peter Facinelli for supporting the Red Cross on Celebrity Jeopardy last Wednesday!
• Hear how deploying to disasters is a family affair in this story told by Long Island volunteer Sal Montoro.
• An article was published in the Long Island Herald over the weekend about how the Red Cross honored Kevin Rivera with the Good Samaritan Award.
• The Long Island Herald and Long Island Press also published articles on Award recipients at the Red Cross’s Long Island Heroes Celebration.
• The Red Cross shared a recap of a recent conversation moderated by Greater NY Board Member Ashleigh Banfield about the climate crisis and its impact on disaster relief efforts.

Upcoming Events and Activities

• Nov 8: Ahead of Veterans Day, a group of extraordinary women who serve our country and our local communities will be honored at an annual tribute ceremony at the Overseas Service League Flagstaff and Women Veterans Memorial Grove in Central Park. The event will be livestreamed on Facebook.
• Nov 11: The Idea Kitchen is hosting a blood drive in Larchmont, NY. Schedule an appointment here.
• Dec 2 (Rescheduled): At Prepare the Town: Mount Vernon, the American Red Cross and the City of Mount Vernon want to help prepare you and your community for emergencies, including home fires. Join us for free giveaways, demonstrations, veterans' resources, and other safety activities!
• Dec 2: Red Cross Board Member in MNYN and Greenwich Police Chief Jim Heavey is challenging the community to schedule 100 new appointments to donate blood in honor of his 100th blood donation, hosting a Battle of the Badges Blood Drive in Greenwich, Conn. Go to redcrossblood.org and enter the sponsor code: GREENPOLICE or schedule a BloodLink appointment at another time using this link.