‘We Met Miss Wanda’: How a Local Red Cross Disaster Worker Brought Comfort to Spokane Wildfire Evacuees

“I have a small, assisted living business, managing two adult family homes in north Spokane. On Saturday, I was doing my errands and one of my caregivers called me and said that we’ve been told to evacuate. I knew there were fires and a lot of smoke, but I didn’t know that it was going to affect our area. They told us to go to the shelter at the convention center.”

From there, Rose Chebe prepared her residents, staff of caregivers and her own family to transition to the American Red Cross evacuation shelter at the Spokane Convention Center.

“We got everybody in the cars and they told us to go to the convention center. We had 12 of my residents, caregivers and my husband, daughter and I. Everybody panicked. Then we met Miss Wanda.”

Wanda Martinez-Johncox serves as a Community Disaster Program Specialist in the Greater Rochester chapter in the Western New York region. Before starting her role in 2019, she served as a Greater Rochester Board member and Red Cross volunteer for six years, deploying to disasters big and small here at home and across the country.

She is now one of hundreds of Red Cross disaster workers providing safe shelter, meals and snacks, health and mental health support and relief items to those affected by the devastating wildfires in Spokane, Washington.

“It’s one Red Cross. Without being a volunteer first, I couldn’t have understood what it’s like to be on the ground and deploy. I use what I learned as a volunteer. I’m just trying to make them comfortable. Even if it’s just a hug or a laugh. Simple things like that make it more comfortable because it’s hard. I’m just grateful to be here to help out. We’re here for you.”

Two elderly members of Chebe’s group required a medical bed to help keep them elevated during their stay. While she was able to find housing for everyone after a two-night stay at the shelter, Chebe says the support provided to them by the Red Cross and people like Wanda was a blessing.

“She made it easier to be out of our homes and comfortable. It makes me feel good that we have somebody that caring. That’s what you need when you transition to a place like this. In a disaster, you don’t know where to start but when you meet good people like Wanda, it makes you feel comfortable. She has a big heart, she’s in the right job.”

Amid renewed alerts for potential evacuations, Chebe was back at the shelter a few days later – this time, however, just to embrace someone she now calls a lifelong friend.

“I came to see Miss Wanda. This is my girl. She can come back and visit me because without her I don’t know how we would’ve done it.”

The Red Cross continues to support relief efforts in Spokane and respond to multiple states to support the families and communities impacted by other massive fires burning across the West.

You can help support families depending on the Red Cross for assistance now by making a donation or signing up to volunteer at redcross.org

A First Deployment, A New Experience for All

While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to dominate the headlines, other emergencies don’t stop, and the American Red Cross remains focused on delivering our lifesaving mission each day. This was demonstrated in early June, when Tropical Storm Cristobal threatened the Gulf Coast of Texas. The Red Cross responded quickly with disaster volunteers from around the country, including three responders from Western New York.

Briana Freeman installing a smoke alarm
as part of the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign

Briana Freeman was one of these volunteer responders. Briana—or Brie as she is known to her colleagues—is a proud Rochester native and a Regional Preparedness Specialist at the West Henrietta office, close to home. A graduate of Allegheny College in Pennsylvania, Brie has been with the Red Cross for 18 months, including a year serving the organization through AmeriCorps. Cristobal was her first national deployment, and it was a big step. “Being the first one, I probably overpacked a little bit,” she joked.

Brie’s deployment was a change from her regular Red Cross work, which involves working with and teaching alongside area partners to build community resiliency against disasters. Her primary focus is on programs involving citizen preparedness, home fire safety, and the Pillowcase Project for younger children. Brie loves interacting with so many different people of different ages and backgrounds in the community, and hearing their experiences. “I think that’s definitely the most fun part,” she said.

A major deployment to a tropical storm 1500 miles from home is a very different experience, however. Still, Brie jumped at the chance to help and arrived in Houston, Texas on June 5, along with volunteers from around the country. Thanks to COVID-19, however, this deployment was a new kind of experience for volunteers new and old.

When Brie first arrived for work at the local Red Cross headquarters, she had her temperature taken and was required to wear a mask at all times. Social distancing was required, so most of the interactions with her fellow volunteers had to be virtual rather than physical. “That definitely was different to what normally occurs,” she said. The restrictions made the volunteers’ task more challenging, especially in terms of communicating effectively with each other, but they quickly found ways to make it work.

Brie also saw first-hand how rapidly the Red Cross can respond to the changing situation on the ground. Two days into her deployment, when it seemed the storm might make landfall further east, many of the volunteers quickly relocated to Beaumont, Texas, near the Louisiana border. Working in operations, Brie helped facilitate this sudden redeployment. “It was literally done with a couple of hours’ notice,” she noted.

Fortunately, Cristobal’s impact in Texas was less severe than predicted, and the Red Cross did not need to open any shelters. Rather than just packing up and going home right away, the volunteers pivoted to turning the experience into a trial run for how to organize a major disaster deployment in the midst of COVID. “Even though we didn’t actually have to open up any shelters, we acted like we did, and used this as a learning experience because this is so different now from what we normally do,” Brie said.

The deployment also gave Brie an opportunity to work with some veteran volunteers, and she had nothing but good things to say about them. “Everyone was very welcoming,” she insisted, “and they want to do everything they can to teach you as much as possible, and that was such a high point for me.” Although Brie’s shift to operations required a steep learning curve, her two more experienced colleagues quickly took her under their wing. “Although I was only there five days, I felt like I learned easily two weeks to a month’s worth of stuff,” she said.

Having made it through her first deployment, Brie would happily do it all again. “It was a wonderful learning experience that has helped me grow into a better staff member, a better volunteer, and a better person,” she said.

The experience has also made Brie more confident than ever of the organization’s ability to keep doing its job effectively, even in the midst of a pandemic. “The Red Cross, no matter what, is sticking to our mission of helping people in all different situations,” she said, “and while we might be doing our mission a little differently just now, we’re still one hundred percent behind the mission.”

If you’d like to help the Red Cross deliver its lifesaving mission nationwide during this public health emergency, please donate at www.redcross.org. Right now, we have high priority need for volunteers that are willing to work in a shelter if the need arises during this hurricane/wildfire season. If you’d like to consider becoming a volunteer, you can start your journey by filling out an online application at www.redcross.org/volunteer.

Story by: Dougie Bicket, 

American Red Cross Communications Volunteer

Remembering "Snowvember", Five Years Later

A Lackawanna house buried in snow following
Snowvember 2014

What were you doing five years ago? If you were in Western New York in November 2014, particularly South Buffalo and the Southtowns, you'll never forget it. 

An unprecedented Lake Effect Snowstorm buried parts of WNY under as much as eight feet of snow. Travel bans and road closures left hundreds of motorists stranded, while thousands more were trapped in their homes. Many residents had to be evacuated over concerns their home might collapse under the weight of all that snow.

Thanks to the year-round support of our generous donors, the Red Cross was able to immediately provide hope, help, and comfort to the WNY community. Between November 18 and November 28, a workforce of 175 people - 80% of them volunteers - operated or supported 19 different shelters across the Region, providing a warm place to spend the night for 603 people. Working with community partners such as the Salvation Army, the Red Cross served 6,696 meals and snacks to families and individuals in need, with four Emergency Response Vehicles taking support directly to areas hardest hit by the storm. Specially trained volunteers provided 1,019 health and mental health contacts, and 3,939 relief items, including cleanup and personal comfort kits, were distributed to families affected by the winter storm.

Joy Lawrence was still smiling despite his big rig getting
stranded in the snow. He enjoyed his "little adventure"
staying at a Red Cross shelter in Elma, NY

“I’m really enjoying this. I call it my little adventure!” Truck driver Joy Lawrence, from Brampton, Ontario, Canada, was able to smile despite having been stranded and needing to be brought to the Red Cross shelter at Iroquois Middle School in Elma by two police officers. “Wow, Red Cross, you guys are awesome. Really helpful, really kind, really understanding. They're willing to help you in every way. Food, shelter, nursing. Sometimes it's hard for me to explain. I'm 100% satisfied with your services.”

NATIONAL NETWORK HELPS MAINTAIN A SAFE BLOOD SUPPLY 

The unprecedented snowfall forced 29 blood drives to be cancelled across WNY, resulting in 910 units going uncollected. When severe weather disrupts blood collections throughout the area, the Red Cross is able to provide blood from other blood regions to help local hospitals. Despite the conditions, volunteer drivers were able to deliver this vital resource to area hospitals so they could continue to meet patient needs.

“I was driving a Red Cross vehicle from the Blood Processing Center in West Henrietta to Mercy Hospital when Harlem Road when the National Guard said the road was impassible,” said volunteer driver Dona Bronkie. “After calling the hospital and my supervisor, we arranged to drop off the blood the Catholic Health building downtown and they were able to make sure it got to the hospital and patients in need.”

PREPARING FOR THE NEXT STORM

Nationally, the Red Cross responds to a disaster every eight minutes. To be ready to respond 24/7, the Red Cross maintains a variety of resources, equipment, and volunteers to provide help after disasters. Just as the Red Cross prepares for disasters, it’s also important for people to prepare by taking three simple steps:

The Red Cross operated or
supported 19 shelters, including
this one at the Depew Senior Center

1. Get a Kit: Emergency kits should include food, water, and other basic supplies to last three days for each family member.
2. Make a Plan: Plan what to in case you are separated from your family during an emergency and have to evacuate
3. Be Informed: Learn which emergency may occur where you live, work, and play, and how to respond as quickly as possible. Find out how local officials will contact you during a disaster and how you will get important information

In partnership with New York State, the Red Cross is pleased to offer free Citizen Preparedness Corps training across the state. The training provides information about common types of natural and man-made disasters, and teaches effective ways to prepare for, respond to and recover from them as an individual, family and community. Click here to request volunteers to provide this training at your school, group, or other organization.

Download the free Red Cross Emergency App to get lifesaving preparedness information, real-time weather alerts, and more, in the palm of your hand. Search “American Red Cross” in the app store or go to www.redcross.org/apps.

DONATE BLOOD

NY-Penn Blood Services currently collects an estimated 750 units daily to support approximately 90 hospitals in New York and ten counties in Pennsylvania. The Red Cross strives to meet local hospital needs first, and then through our national inventory management system, we can move products throughout our area and across the country, where there is a need.

Currently the Red Cross has a critical need for all blood types and platelet donations. Schedule an appointment today by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

The scene outside Iroquois Middle School in Elma
as volunteers opened a shelter for those affected by
Snowvember 2014

DONATE TO DISASTER RELIEF

You can help people affected by disasters like winter storms and countless other crises by making a gift to Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. 

You can also donate your time and talent as a Red Cross volunteer. Visit redcross.org/volunteer to fill out an online application and start your own Red Cross story.

Western and Central NY Region Responding to February 2019 Windstorm

UPDATE AS OF Tuesday, February 26:

Red Cross Shelters in Erie County Scheduled to Close at 4 p.m. Tuesday
Coordinating with regional officials on response to windstorm, preps for winter storm

In consultation with area officials, the American Red Cross shelters at Grand Island Golden Age Center and the Harlem Road Community Center will be closing at 4 p.m. Tuesday, February 26. A shelter at the David F. Gantt Center in Rochester closed on Monday. The Red Cross would like to thank all the volunteers, partners, and supporters who helped provide a safe place to stay, food and water, comfort and support our neighbors in need.

With winter weather advisories issued for later this week and power restoration efforts ongoing, the Red Cross remains in constant contact with emergency officials across the region to coordinate the most efficient and effective response, and is prepared to provide additional relief services as needed.

People can download the Red Cross Emergency App for instant access to winter storm and other disaster safety tips, as well real-time weather alerts and a map of shelter locations. Expert medical guidance and a hospital locator are included in the First Aid App in case of hypothermia, frostbite, and other emergencies. Both apps are available to download for free in app stores or at redcross.org/apps.

You can help people affected by disasters like winter storms and countless other crises by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-REDCROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

-END-

"It's a blessing to be with people that care"

"It was really bad. The first thing that came to mind was 9/11, and that's exactly what it looked like."

Rose Blattenbeger had no idea that 90%
of the American Red Cross workforce are
volunteers until she came to the shelter
at Lackawanna High School

Rose Blattenberger lives in Bethlehem Park in Lackawanna, and says the massive fire that broke out at the former Bethlehem Steel plant on Wednesday, November 9 was terrifying.

"We were so lucky that the wind went to the opposite side, otherwise all those houses would've gotten on fire, and everything would've gone down like dominoes," she said. Unfortunately, the winds shifted the next day, and the thick, black smoke forced Rose and her neighbors to evacuate. She was one of 13 people who spent Thursday night at a Red Cross shelter at Lackawanna High School.

April Brough said it's a "blessing" to have
Red Cross volunteers taking care of her
and her family

"It's not home, but it's a blessing to be with people that care," Rose said of the Red Cross volunteers. "They provide us with food, beverages, and I'm lucky to be with my neighbors. It's just a blessing to be here instead of being at home, breathing that smoke."

"They go above and beyond the call of duty to be of assistance to someone who might be in a difficult situation," added April Brough, who was staying at the shelter along with her husband and three young children. April also encouraged any of her neighbors trying to stick it out to listen to the evacuation warnings: "Don't be stubborn, all that they're doing is looking is looking out for our safety. Especially seeing how well you guys have taken care of my family."

"Being here, you are with people that care. And that's the best thing that one can have is people that care, and they're nice," added Rose. "I just heard about the Red Cross, that they're all volunteers, and they don't get paid for that, and I was not aware of that. I would recommend the Red Cross sky high from now on."

"Gimmie Shelter"? Our volunteers can do that!

"Oh, a storm is threatnin'

Photo courtesy buffalobills.com

My very life today.
If I don't get some shelter
Oh, I'm gonna fade away."
-The Rolling Stones

The Ralph will be rocking Saturday, and from the sound of things, it seems like all of Western and Central New York will be at the Stadium to see "the worlds greatest rock and roll band" live. In one of The Rolling Stones best-known songs, Mick Jagger pleads with listeners to "Gimmie Shelter". Well, Mick, that's something our volunteers do for their neighbors in need each and every day.

Just last week, when flash floods washed through parts of Syracuse, our volunteers set up a shelter at the Westcott Community Center in the early morning hours, before later moving to St. Lucy's Church, ensuring evacuated residents had a safe, warm place to stay. In November, when the area around Ralph Wilson Stadium was covered in as much as eight feet of snow, Red Cross volunteers operated or supported 19 different shelters, providing over 600 overnight stays for travelers stranded by Thruway and other road closures.

This is probably not what Mick Jagger had in mind, but
our volunteers operated or supported 19 shelters during
"Snowvember 2014"

It's not always a storm that forces someone to need shelter. An average of three times a day across the Western and Central New York Region, a family is forced from their home after a fire. Our volunteers are there then too, offering a place to stay, food, clothing and support, as they did for eight people who lost everything after an Elmira fire Thursday.

So whether it's because "a storm was threatnin'" or "a fire was sweepin'", the Red Cross volunteers are always ready to "Gimmie Shelter", even while thousands of us will be listening to the Stones sing one of my all-time favorite songs live.

Do you want to help answer Mick's call? Learn more about becoming a Red Cross volunteer on our website.

"Your volunteers are amazing!"

Julie Perl at the Red Cross shelter at Westcott Community
Center in Syracuse Wednesday afternoon

Julie Perl thought her Tuesday was winding down as she left class at Bryant and Stratton College and headed home around 10pm, but unfortunately, her evening's journey was just beginning.

"I was headed down James Street, saw the fire trucks, and started freaking out," Perl said at the Red Cross shelter at the Westcott Community Center in Syracuse Wednesday. Heavy rains had caused flash flooding in many areas of the city. At Perl's apartment complex, the power had been cut as the waters filled the basement and reached the electrical wiring, and the fire department told Julie and her family they had to leave.

"I've been here since 2:30 this morning," Perl said of the shelter. "The volunteers have been amazing. On the news, you see they're everywhere, but I've never had to deal with a situation where the Red Cross stepped in. They brought out snacks for the kids at 2:30 a.m., gave us water, blankets, breakfast this morning."

Perl and a couple of her fellow shelter residents actually helped set up the cots that 18 people slept on Tuesday night. She feels that's the least they could for the volunteers that were helping them. Volunteers like Rich Plumpton, who had just returned from two weeks working with the Red Cross relief efforts in Oklahoma three days earlier.

Julie Perl and her grandson enjoying lunch at the Wescott
Community Center shelter

"You couldn't ask for a better bunch of people," Perl said. "They actually felt bad that they didn't have any toys for my grandkids. But they gave them Mickey Mouse, and that made the kids so happy. They actually slept with the Mickeys!"

Later Wednesday afternoon, the shelter moved to St. Lucy's Church on Gifford Street, where 20 people spent Wednesday night. Julie Perl says she doesn't know what she would've done if it wasn't for the Red Cross.

"I have family, but they have things that they do, and don't have the room to put us up," she said. "We probably would've been in a shelter that's not fit for kids."

What a difference a year makes!

When the phone rings at 2am, it's usually not a good sign. That's how May 14, 2014 started for me, being awakened by a phone call that we were opening a shelter in Penn Yan in response to flooding there and in Yates County.

Of course, the Red Cross volunteers were already in action. While most normal human beings were sound asleep, before 5am they had a shelter at the Penn Yan Academy for those forced from their homes, a shelter that would remain open for six days, providing 34 overnight shelter stays.

Having been with the Red Cross for a few years, I had an idea of what was happening. But when I arrived in Penn Yan that afternoon, I was stunned by the amount of devastation in the downtown area. Streets had literally been washed away.

Driving through surrounding areas of Yates County with volunteers over the next several days, delivering water and clean up kits, it quickly became apparent that more than just downtown Penn Yan had been affected by this disaster. 

Looking back one year later, two things really stick out in my mind. I grew up close enough to Penn Yan that I spent nights at my parent's house during our response. It surprised me how much harder it was to deal with a disaster that hit so close to home. 

What didn't surprise me, however, was the work of our volunteers. As my colleague Veronica said at the time of her first disaster response, "The American Red Cross was EVERYWHERE. Volunteers from Niagara Falls to Rochester to Schuyler County to Elmira and everywhere in between mobilized in Penn Yan. They volunteered for 12 hour to sometimes 24 hour shifts at the shelter at Penn Yan Academy. Still others volunteered in the Penn Yan and surrounding communities delivering clean up kits and offering advice on what was next for those who suffered losses in the flood."

Those immediate emergency response efforts continued for three weeks, with volunteers serving over 600 meals and snacks, distributing 38 clean-kits, providing emotional support to countless people devastated by the storm and provided dozens of referrals to help the community get back their feet. 

It may be hard to believe looking at today's bright blue skies, but one year later, the people of Penn Yan and Yates County are still recovering from last spring's floods. And the Red Cross is still there, supporting the community each and every day. None of this would be possible with the incredible work of our volunteers and your generous support 365 days a year. I'm proud to be a part of this great organization, but I'm especially proud to have been there with our amazing volunteers one year ago. 

Today and always, we're #PYStrong.

You Saved My Life!

“I haven’t had sleep in 24 hours!”

Jeanette Jay with Winging It TV's Matt Snyder at
Iroquois Middle School shelter

Jeanette Jay had been evacuated from her home in the French Quarter Mobile Park in West Seneca

Thursday evening when of the snow from the lake effect storm threatened to collapse her roof.

“There was 12 feet of snow in my driveway,” Jay said. “I left my pets behind, I had to make a decision. I’m lucky to be here.”

The emergency officials that rescued Jay bused her and almost 30 of her neighbors to the Red Cross shelter at Iroquois Middle School in Elma.

“The treatment has been out of this world,” Jay said of the volunteers who provided hot meals, a place to rest, and emotional support at the shelter. “The facilities are the best they could’ve taken people to.”

This picture gives you an idea of how much snow has
piled up on people's roofs

Jay actually came to Western New York after her Pennsylvania home was destroyed by fire years ago. However, she hadn’t needed Red Cross services until this storm, and she is grateful for all the help she's received.

“You saved my life,” she said.

65 people spent Friday night in Red Cross shelters at the Iroquois Middle School, 211 Girdle Road in Elma, and Goodell Hall, 12847 Erie Street in Irving. Volunteers continue to operate those shelters as preparations are being made for potential flooding in the next few days. Please take some time to prepare yourself and your family for possible flooding, and download the FREE Red Cross Flood App for real-time alerts and additional safety tips.

"It's My Little Adventure"

Joy Lawrence of Brampton, ONT

"I'm really enjoying this. I call it my little adventure!"

That's not exactly what you'd expect to hear from a trucker stranded by an unprecedented lake effect snowstorm. Joy Lawrence was trying to get his rig back to Brampton, Ontario, Canada Tuesday when the snow started falling.

"Almost made it," Lawrence said Thursday from the Red Cross shelter at Iroquois Middle School in Elma. "Got stuck at 2:30, slept in my truck. I'd never gotten stranded, never seen snow like this before."

After getting some help digging out his rig, two police officers led Lawrence to the Jamison Road fire hall. The next day, he and others were transferred to the larger shelter at Iroquois Middle, where volunteers were able to provide them with additional services including showers.

"Wow, Red Cross, you guys are awesome," Lawrence said. Really helpful, really kind, really understanding. They're willing to help you in every way. Food, shelter, nursing. Sometimes it's hard for me to explain. I'm 100% satisfied with your services.

The snow continued to fall outside our shelter at
Iroquois Middle School in Elma Thursday afternoon

Despite being stranded in a foreign country, Joy's spirit throughout his ordeal really lived up to his first name.

"I've met some really lovely people," he said.

On Wednesday afternoon, Joy was one of 35 Canadians staying in Red Cross shelters in WNY. There were also 22 people from China, 3 from Brazil, and one each from Australia, India and the Philippines, making this a truly international operation.

"The American Red Cross is one of the best in the world," said Lawrence before returning home.

Red Cross Response to Lake Effect Snow Continues

The American Red Cross continues to operate and support multiple shelters across Western New York in response to the ongoing lake effect snow event. Over 200 people spent Tuesday evening in shelters, and volunteers are currently providing food, water, blankets and additional support at the following locations:

·         Alexander Fireman’s Recreation Hall
10708 Alexander Road, Alexander

·         Amherst Community Center
4255 Harlem Road, Amherst

·         Buffalo Fire Department
(supporting with 50 cots, blankets and comfort kits)

·         Cheektowaga Senior Center (supporting with blankets only)
3349 Broadway, Cheektowaga

·         Depew Senior Center
85 Manitou Street, Depew

·         Lackawanna Senior Center (limited access-attempting to support)
234 Martin Road, Lackawanna

·         Lancaster Fire Department (supporting with food)
525 Pavement Road, Lancaster

·         Lancaster Volunteer Ambulance Corp
(supporting with 30 cots and 40 blankets)

·         Orchard Park Presbyterian Church
4369 South Buffalo Street, Orchard Park

·         Ripley Fire Hall
11 South State Street, Ripley

In addition to thanking our volunteers who continue to donate their time and talents, the Red Cross wishes to thank Domino’s Pizza, Panera Bread, Tim Hortons and Wegmans for their generous donations to support these shelters, as well as Tops Markets for their support.

With additional lake effect snow warnings in effect for much of the area, Red Cross staff and volunteers remain in contact with emergency officials from across Western New York and are ready to respond as needed.

The Red Cross urges everyone to heed travel warnings and stay off the roads if possible. Residents should ensure that furnace vents are clear of snow in order to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Should residents lose power, don’t use a generator, grill, camp stove or other gasoline, propane, natural gas or charcoal-burning devices in any enclosed area. Locate units away from doors, windows and vents that could allow carbon monoxide to come indoors. Additional winter storm safety tips are available at www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/winter-storm. 

Red Cross Opening or Supporting Additional Storm Shelters Across WNY

The American Red Cross is opening or supporting partner shelters across Western New York in response to the ongoing lake effect snow event. Volunteers will have food, water, blankets, cots and additional support available at the following locations:

·         Alexander Fireman’s Recreation Hall
10708 Alexander Road, Alexander

·         Cheektowaga Senior Center (providing blankets only)
3349 Broadway, Cheektowaga

·         Depew Senior Center
85 Manitou Street, Depew

·         Fredonia High School
425 East Main Road, Fredonia

·         Lackawanna Senior Center
234 Martin Road, Lackawanna

·         Lancaster Fire Department (providing food only)
525 Pavement Road, Lancaster

·         Orchard Park Fire District
30 School Street, Orchard Park

·         Ripley Fire Hall
11 South State Street, Ripley

As this lake event snow event continues, Red Cross staff and volunteers remain in contact with emergency officials from across Western New York and are ready to respond as needed. 

The Red Cross urges everyone to heed travel warnings and stay off the roads if possible. Additional winter storm safety tips are available at www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/winter-storm. 

Volunteers also responded to two separate fires in Monroe County on Monday, November 17, providing immediate emergency assistance to four people. Our Disaster Action Team volunteers provided lodging for one survivor after a fire on Creekview Drive in Chili. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy, the 30^th fire-related death in the 17-county Western New York/Finger Lakes Region in 2014. Our volunteers also provided food and lodging for two adults and a child after a fire on Boughton Hill Road in Mendon.

The American Red Cross, Western New York Chapter provides an average of just over $1,000 in direct financial assistance when responding to a single family house fire affecting a family of four. Anyone wishing to help people affected by fires, winter storms or other disasters is asked to consider donating to the Disaster Relief Fund by calling 1-800-REDCROSS, visiting www.redcross.org, or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to charge a $10 donation to their cell phone bill.

Sorry, Jimmy Griffin!

Volunteers Pete Peterson and Mary Walker at a shelter
in Southwestern New York

During the Blizzard of 1985, former Buffalo Mayor Jimmy Griffin said, "Stay inside, grab a six-pack and watch a good football game." Unfortunately, during the "Polar Vortex" of 2014, our staff and volunteers from across the Western New York and Finger Lakes Regions haven't exactly had time to do that.

In Rochester, we opened nine shelters as part of the City's "Heat Sweep" program. Working in the 50 Prince Street office, it was amazing to see how quickly the volunteers came together to honor this request from City Hall to help our neighbors in need. On the western end of our region, staff and volunteers opened shelters in Ripley and Irving to help travelers stranded by Thruway and other road closures come in out of the cold. Over 70 people spend Monday night at Red Cross shelters, and warming stations were also opened in Wellsville and Cuba.

Of course, our response to this winter weather didn't end with sheltering. In Rochester, a reporter called me about an international family stranded at the airport by flight diversions and cancellations until Friday. Our emergency services team worked with the airline to ensure this story had a happy ending.

Coffee and water ready for residents at Gantt Center shelter
in Rochester (courtesy of Wegmans)

And much like the post office, neither snow nor bitter cold can stop our volunteers from helping those in need after a fire. We provided assistance including Disaster Mental Health services to three survivors of a fire in Niagara Falls, helped 11 people after an Orchard Park apartment fire, and 11 people--including some who were apparently part of a heroic rescue effort by first responders--in Middleport. Whether or not our bitter cold weather was a factor in these incidents, the Western New York and Finger Lakes Regions have responded to 10 fires since Monday, helping over 50 people who lost everything in the blink of an eye.

We are only able to provide this vital service to the community because of your support, so THANK YOU to all or our supporters, and of course the volunteers who braved the elements to help our neighbors in need this week. And don't worry, we're still ready to respond if necessary after the upcoming flood watch as well!

Giving Thanks for Safe Winter Travels!

In case you couldn't tell by the frigid temperatures and the snow some of us saw this weekend, winter is here. Just to make sure that point is hammered home, all of Western  New York is under a Winter Storm Watch from Tuesday evening through Wednesday evening. While six inches of snow may not be enough to scare us hearty Western New Yorkers, history tells us we'd do well to make sure we're prepared.

Warming station for stranded drivers at the Cheektowaga
Senior Center on 12/1/10

This is one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, with over 43 million Americans expected to hit the roads. During Thanksgiving week 13 years ago, I was working at Channel 7 when this happened. Looking outside the downtown Buffalo studios, the streets looked like a war zone, with abandoned cars spread across the highways, blocking travel even for those trying to brave the massive snowstorm. Thousands were stranded. I spent the night with dozens of stranded travelers in the lobby of the hotel across the street, since every room had long been filled by other stranded travelers. I was only a month into my Red Cross career when a lake effect snowstorm forced the closure of parts of the Thruway near Cheektowaga on December 1, 2010, giving me my first shelter experience as we set up a warming station for the thousands of stranded motorists. (It wasn't over the holidays, but I was also a senior in the Marion Jr-Sr High School when an ice storm knocked out power to thousands and kept us out of school for a week in 1991. Not to date myself or anything...)

Volunteers serve a hot meal to drivers, some of whom had
been stranded over 24 hours when a snowstorm closed
portions of the Thruway in December 2010

It's almost as if winter storms are part of the Thanksgiving tradition in this region. And even if you can handle the snowy driving, other drivers or road closures can still leave you stuck. Try to wait until things are clear to hit the roads--I'm sure your family will keep the turkey warm for you. But if you must drive in wintry conditions, here's some safety tips to help you arrive safely:

• Pack emergency supplies like blankets, water and snacks, flashlight and first aid kit.
• Vehicles should be in good working order before heading out. Fill the fuel tank, check air pressure in tires and top-off windshield fluid.
• Buckle up and obey all traffic signs.
• Avoid distractions while driving like using mobile phones to talk or text.
• Designate a driver who won’t be drinking whenever alcohol is served.

If your using planes and trains instead of automobiles this Thanksgiving, we've got some safety tips for you as well. And of course, this is just the beginning of the winter season, so make sure you're prepared to make it through the snow at home and on the roads!