Comments for ARC/GNY News Blog http://nyredcross.wordpress.com The official news blog of the American Red Cross in Greater New York Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:47:44 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on About by Eric Reighard http://nyredcross.wordpress.com/about/#comment-234 Eric Reighard Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:47:44 +0000 #comment-234 Very informative! I hope to join with you to keep the public informed about disaster preparedness. I have a new blog at the address above. Hope you will check it out. Eric Very informative! I hope to join with you to keep the public informed about disaster preparedness. I have a new blog at the address above. Hope you will check it out.

Eric

]]> Comment on “Get Prepared” During National Fire Safety Week by Leah Kristie http://nyredcross.wordpress.com/2009/10/05/%e2%80%9cget-prepared%e2%80%9d-during-national-fire-safety-week/#comment-232 Leah Kristie Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:47:42 +0000 http://nyredcross.wordpress.com/?p=365#comment-232 Dear Blog Team, I am a member of the Communications Department of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter, and we really enjoy your blog! I hope your Fire Prevention Week initiatives were a hit. On September 1st, we launched blog of our own, and we would love to connect with you – perhaps link to some of your posts and stay in touch. Here is the link to our blog: http://www.redcrossphilly.org/blog.cfm We have added your blog to our list of links, and we would love for you to link to us, too! Take care, and I hope to hear from you soon. Warm wishes, Leah Leah Kristie Communications Consultant (215) 299-4073 leah.kristie@redcross-philly.org www.redcross-philly.org Dear Blog Team,

I am a member of the Communications Department of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter, and we really enjoy your blog! I hope your Fire Prevention Week initiatives were a hit.

On September 1st, we launched blog of our own, and we would love to connect with you – perhaps link to some of your posts and stay in touch. Here is the link to our blog:

http://www.redcrossphilly.org/blog.cfm

We have added your blog to our list of links, and we would love for you to link to us, too! Take care, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Warm wishes,

Leah

Leah Kristie
Communications Consultant
(215) 299-4073
leah.kristie@redcross-philly.org
http://www.redcross-philly.org

]]> Comment on Chapter Assists Hundreds of New Yorkers over the Weekend by Busy Days for Red Cross | Rapid Refile US Blog http://nyredcross.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/chapter-assists-hundreds-of-new-yorkers-over-the-weekend/#comment-201 Busy Days for Red Cross | Rapid Refile US Blog Thu, 05 Feb 2009 02:00:11 +0000 http://nyredcross.wordpress.com/?p=324#comment-201 [...] The Greater New York Chapter of the Red Cross responded to 31 incidents over the course of 3 days. Here is a rundown of the events from the ARC/GNY blog: [...] [...] The Greater New York Chapter of the Red Cross responded to 31 incidents over the course of 3 days. Here is a rundown of the events from the ARC/GNY blog: [...]

]]> Comment on Update: More ARC/GNY Workers Travel to Albany to Aid Severe Weather Response by Christine Heslin Powers http://nyredcross.wordpress.com/2008/12/15/update-more-arcgny-workers-travel-to-albany-to-aid-severe-weather-response/#comment-172 Christine Heslin Powers Wed, 17 Dec 2008 02:23:45 +0000 http://nyredcross.wordpress.com/?p=225#comment-172 Our deepest thanks, we could not have done this without you! Our deepest thanks, we could not have done this without you!

]]> Comment on Can’t was not in our vocabulary by Suzy Davidson http://nyredcross.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/cant-was-not-in-our-vocabulary/#comment-43 Suzy Davidson Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:20:44 +0000 http://nyredcross.wordpress.com/?p=92#comment-43 Mornin' As I sit reading this last blog - I felt the need to let you know how very proud I am of GNY Red Cross and all of its' team. What incredible leadership your group provided and I am sure you got back as much as you gave. This certainly should be the wave of response in the future and leave to ARC GNY to lead the way! Kudos to you, Scott, the amazing DART and the TEAM.... Suzy Mornin’
As I sit reading this last blog – I felt the need to let you know how very proud I am of GNY Red Cross and all of its’ team. What incredible leadership your group provided and I am sure you got back as much as you gave. This certainly should be the wave of response in the future and leave to ARC GNY to lead the way! Kudos to you, Scott, the amazing DART and the TEAM….
Suzy

]]> Comment on We must now get ready for Ike by Jenny Wienke http://nyredcross.wordpress.com/2008/09/09/we-must-now-get-ready-for-ike/#comment-14 Jenny Wienke Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:57:04 +0000 http://nyredcross.wordpress.com/?p=90#comment-14 Hi, my dad is at your site. He's with Red Cross and works the night shift. His name is John and he's from Bend, Oregon. This is his first time. My mom is also volunteering for the first time and she will be on her way to Dallas tomorrow. I know there are lots of people, but maybe if you see him tell him his daughter Jenny says hi! (And his little granddaughter Ava sends him a hug). Really great, wonderful work you're doing. Thanks. Jenny Wienke Hi, my dad is at your site. He’s with Red Cross and works the night shift. His name is John and he’s from Bend, Oregon. This is his first time. My mom is also volunteering for the first time and she will be on her way to Dallas tomorrow.

I know there are lots of people, but maybe if you see him tell him his daughter Jenny says hi! (And his little granddaughter Ava sends him a hug).

Really great, wonderful work you’re doing. Thanks.

Jenny Wienke

]]> Comment on We have arrived by Norma Marcos http://nyredcross.wordpress.com/2008/08/30/we-have-arrived/#comment-13 Norma Marcos Mon, 08 Sep 2008 20:19:10 +0000 http://nyredcross.wordpress.com/?p=31#comment-13 Terry, Scott, and all the staff deployed, It brings a lump to my throat to think of all that you have done for those displaced people in the South. It makes me proud and gives me more motivation, as a volunteer, to continue to do from my heart and possibly help at least one person who needs help (such as Scott did by changing that ladies tire). This is what it is all about, pulling together. I call it "team work", I always used the analogy in my office of a two man bike, and how much faster it would reach it's goal if they both peddled together. Proud of you guys, Norma Marcos Volunteer Responder Terry, Scott, and all the staff deployed,
It brings a lump to my throat to think of all that you have done for those displaced people in the South. It makes me proud and gives me more motivation, as a volunteer, to continue to do from my heart and possibly help at least one person who needs help (such as Scott did by changing that ladies tire). This is what it is all about, pulling together. I call it “team work”, I always used the analogy in my office of a two man bike, and how much faster it would reach it’s goal if they both peddled together.
Proud of you guys,
Norma Marcos
Volunteer Responder

]]> Comment on Gustav’s Aftermath: The American Red Cross Continues to Shelter Evacuees by Carol Hathaway http://nyredcross.wordpress.com/2008/09/04/gustav%e2%80%99s-aftermath-the-american-red-cross-continues-to-shelter-evacuees/#comment-12 Carol Hathaway Sat, 06 Sep 2008 06:29:24 +0000 http://nyredcross.wordpress.com/?p=48#comment-12 As a resident of the LSUA shelter that Terry has been running, I have some positive reviews and much criticism for the red cross effort there. Many of the people were very nice, many more were less than nice. While there were over 81,000 cases of MRE's available, during the time where we were going through the storm and the 3 following days under generator power, they were not dispensed. We received cold sandwiches with about 1 slice of meat, one day it was only PBJs and for some unfortunate evacuees, just a jam sandwich. While I didn't really mind losing the 10 lbs that I lost in my 6 day stay there, my 14 yr old daughter lost the same amount of weight, and as a very petite girl who is challenged to maintain a healthy weight, she could not afford the loss. Even after addressing the problem, there was no change, meals continued to be less than healthy and way below minimum daily calorie intake standard guidelines. Individual bottles of water were not dispensed, even upon request, with meals we were given a 4 oz serving of liquid and nothing more. Tap water, ice (power permitting) were available, most of the time (the facility had severe plumbing challenges) as was coffee in the early morning and around dinner time, but no bottled water, even when the local newspapers were advising local residents to boil water before using it. There were no towels for use with showering, and the blankets provided were so thin they had little to no effect to keep people warm, especially with the challenges the facility was facing with the environment control systems. It was freezing in there when the power was on, hot and humid when the power was out, then when power was restored, the air conditioning was set at it's lowest possible temperature, to remove the ambient humidity, but no one was instructed in how to properly reset the environment to a more comfortable temperature (we were freezing!!!) once the humidity was under control. Both myself and my daughter are now suffering from upper respiratory infections due to our stay at that shelter. Mind you, the State of Louisiana did evacuate us to a facility that ended up being right in the path of the eye of Hurricane Gustav. The people from the red cross rode it out with us, but many of them were also seen at the next building over, where the EMS people were centralized, eating wonderful, large portion dinners, even steaks with the EMS personnel, while we were not even getting enough to eat to allow us the basic energy our bodies needed for regular function, much less a high stress environment and drastic climate changes. It would be very interesting to see a full audit of the supplies received, supplies ACTUALLY distributed, and the supplies remaining after the red cross leaves this facility. I have a bad feeling that many red cross volunteers will be going home with plenty of Sobe Life Water, bottled water, towels, WARM blankets and MREs that the evacuees should have been receiving. The red cross is there to help people who have less than what is necessary to survive after a disaster, not to reap material benefits from the supplies they should have been giving to those in need. As a resident of the LSUA shelter that Terry has been running, I have some positive reviews and much criticism for the red cross effort there. Many of the people were very nice, many more were less than nice. While there were over 81,000 cases of MRE’s available, during the time where we were going through the storm and the 3 following days under generator power, they were not dispensed. We received cold sandwiches with about 1 slice of meat, one day it was only PBJs and for some unfortunate evacuees, just a jam sandwich. While I didn’t really mind losing the 10 lbs that I lost in my 6 day stay there, my 14 yr old daughter lost the same amount of weight, and as a very petite girl who is challenged to maintain a healthy weight, she could not afford the loss. Even after addressing the problem, there was no change, meals continued to be less than healthy and way below minimum daily calorie intake standard guidelines.

Individual bottles of water were not dispensed, even upon request, with meals we were given a 4 oz serving of liquid and nothing more. Tap water, ice (power permitting) were available, most of the time (the facility had severe plumbing challenges) as was coffee in the early morning and around dinner time, but no bottled water, even when the local newspapers were advising local residents to boil water before using it. There were no towels for use with showering, and the blankets provided were so thin they had little to no effect to keep people warm, especially with the challenges the facility was facing with the environment control systems. It was freezing in there when the power was on, hot and humid when the power was out, then when power was restored, the air conditioning was set at it’s lowest possible temperature, to remove the ambient humidity, but no one was instructed in how to properly reset the environment to a more comfortable temperature (we were freezing!!!) once the humidity was under control.

Both myself and my daughter are now suffering from upper respiratory infections due to our stay at that shelter.

Mind you, the State of Louisiana did evacuate us to a facility that ended up being right in the path of the eye of Hurricane Gustav. The people from the red cross rode it out with us, but many of them were also seen at the next building over, where the EMS people were centralized, eating wonderful, large portion dinners, even steaks with the EMS personnel, while we were not even getting enough
to eat to allow us the basic energy our bodies needed for regular function, much less a high stress environment and drastic climate changes.

It would be very interesting to see a full audit of the supplies received, supplies ACTUALLY distributed, and the supplies remaining after the red cross leaves this facility. I have a bad feeling that many red cross volunteers will be going home with plenty of Sobe Life Water, bottled water, towels, WARM blankets and MREs that the evacuees should have been receiving.

The red cross is there to help people who have less than what is necessary to survive after a disaster, not to reap material benefits from the supplies they should have been giving to those in need.

]]> Comment on 2 1/2 days or was it a life time? by New Blog From Red Cross of Greater New York Highlights Important Growth Of Chapter Social Media http://nyredcross.wordpress.com/2008/09/02/2-12-days-or-was-it-a-life-time/#comment-10 New Blog From Red Cross of Greater New York Highlights Important Growth Of Chapter Social Media Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:25:20 +0000 http://nyredcross.wordpress.com/?p=42#comment-10 [...] New York Chapter blog can be found at nyredcross.wordpress.com.   Below is an excerpt from a recent post from Terry Bischoff (”2 and 1/2 days or was it a lifetime?”) in which she describes getting [...] [...] New York Chapter blog can be found at nyredcross.wordpress.com.   Below is an excerpt from a recent post from Terry Bischoff (”2 and 1/2 days or was it a lifetime?”) in which she describes getting [...]

]]> Comment on Gustav’s Aftermath: The American Red Cross Continues to Shelter Evacuees by Charlie Wells http://nyredcross.wordpress.com/2008/09/04/gustav%e2%80%99s-aftermath-the-american-red-cross-continues-to-shelter-evacuees/#comment-9 Charlie Wells Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:15:15 +0000 http://nyredcross.wordpress.com/?p=48#comment-9 Terry, Scott and to the RRT of ARC/GNY: Good morning to you all! I have been reading Terry's blog and we are all very proud of all your work and efforts the team has accomplished with assisting the evacuees. Listening to the briefs by the senior staff here and watching the news tells only a small part of the many objectives that are placed in front of you there. I know you have taken the initiative of adapting, improvising and overcoming any obstacle that you encounter. We miss you all and look forward to seeing you all upon your safe return. Regards, Charlie Terry, Scott and to the RRT of ARC/GNY:

Good morning to you all! I have been reading Terry’s blog and we are all very proud of all your work and efforts the team has accomplished with assisting the evacuees.

Listening to the briefs by the senior staff here and watching the news tells only a small part of the many objectives that are placed in front of you there. I know you have taken the initiative of adapting, improvising and overcoming any obstacle that you encounter. We miss you all and look forward to seeing you all upon your safe return.

Regards,
Charlie

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