In Case You Missed It - Dec 14

Red Cross Volunteer Jennifer MacNeill shares her #MyRedCrossLife story.

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 100 adults and 32 children following 44 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities (see below).

Last Week in Review

• On Friday, Red Cross intern Silvana Espinoza shared a blog post about volunteering in her own neighborhood.
• Late Thursday night into early Friday morning, a massive fire ripped through multiple row houses on Valentine Ave. in the Bronx, leaving more than 80 residents homeless. In response, the Red Cross opened a reception center to provide emergency services for the displaced residents. Of the nearly 30 families who registered with us Friday, 19 needed emergency housing that the Red Cross provided.
• Continuing with our ongoing #MyRedCrossLife Instagram series, we featured Red Cross volunteer Jennifer MacNeill who shared with us why volunteering is so important to her.
• On Thursday, the Roslyn News ran a profile of new Long Island board co-chair Palmira Cataliotti.
• On Wednesday, the Greenwich Sentinel featured a Metro New York North Red Cross event in which board members assembled comfort kits for wounded soldiers in VA Hospitals.
• Also on Wednesday, the Long Island Red Cross held its winter volunteer appreciation event.
• Last week, Elsie Rodriguez and her mother, who lost their Brooklyn apartment of 40 years to a fire, shared with us the impact of Red Cross assistance
• Earlier this month, Congresswoman Grace Meng supported the Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign at P.S. 174 in Rego Park (Queens). School children wrote cards to active service members and veterans.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• Win a Deluxe Emergency Preparedness Kit by taking the online emergency preparedness training. You’ll be automatically entered to win. This contest is open to residents of New York City, Long Island, Orange, Sullivan, Rockland, Putnam and Westchester Counties. Four winners will be chosen each month (notified via email).
• Dec 14, 16, 18: Red Cross blood drive; 1 to 7pm; 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan. Schedule an appointment to donate today.
• Dec 13-15: The American Red Cross will have a booth at the National Immigrant Integration Conference (NIIC), which is an annual conference that brings together service providers, policy makers, researchers and business leaders from around the country to discuss issues concerning immigration, inclusion and integration.
• Dec 19: If you want to give back to the community and join the#GetAlarmedNYC Home Fire Campaign, attend the Home Fire Safety Academy. Trainings teaching everything you need to know to be a part of this lifesaving effort are taking place on Dec 19. Submit your application today.