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.