Red Cross to Distribute Clean-Up Kits in Storm Affected Areas

The American Red Cross will be distributing free clean-up kits and other materials to help residents as they begin to recover from last week’s devastating lake effect snowstorm. Clean-up kits-including brooms, buckets, work and rubber gloves, bleach, tarps, shovels and more- will be available while supplies last, along with information on what to do after a flood and specially-trained Disaster Mental Health volunteers to help area residents deal with the emotional impact of this storm.

WHAT:          Red Cross clean-up materials distribution

WHEN:         Wednesday, November 26, 2pm-5pm

                        Friday, November 28, 11am-2pm

WHERE:      Iroquois Middle School, 2111 Girdle Road, Elma

                        St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran, 3512 Clinton Street, West Seneca                   

The Salvation Army will be providing hot meals at both locations on both Wednesday and Friday as they continue to support the relief efforts. The Salvation Army has provided over 2,000 meals since the relief efforts began last week. Volunteers from the Southern Baptists will also be supporting the distribution, joining some of the 114 Red Cross staff and volunteers currently working on the relief efforts.

The Red Cross continues to operate a shelter at Iroquois Middle School, where six people spent Monday night. Four Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) have been bringing food, water and additional support directly into the hardest hit areas, and Disaster Assessment teams have been assessing the damage and helping guide the response efforts.

The Red Cross continues to work with emergency officials at the state, county and local level to monitor developments and ensure that community needs are being met as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches.

Because of you

Tornadoes can come and go with little warning, causing a family to lose their home in an instant.  Families often have time to prepare for floods, but when the flood waters finally come in, they come in fast. In these darkest of times, individuals and families turned to the American Red Cross and its generous donors like you for shelter, food, emotional support, and emergency assistance. Missouri residents whose lives were turned upside down by the tornado were given vital necessities such as hot meals and snacks, hygiene kits, and health and mental health support. More than 390.000 meals and snacks were served at shelters and throughout the communities by Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles that were circulating through affected communities. American Red Cross President and CEO visited Joplin in the early days of the response. Moved by what she saw, she explained,

“The devastation that I have seen is truly indescribable. Everywhere you look, buildings are toppled, homes are destroyed, things are in shards, and the community is working so hard to recover and bounce back. It’s heartbreaking, and I’m very very proud of what the American Red Cross is doing to help the people of Joplin. We have a shelter stood up where we are feeding and sheltering people who have lost everything. We have Emergency Response Vehicles that are driving through communities, delivering food, meals, snacks, clean-up kits, comfort kits. We have mental health counselors here providing psycho-social support for the people of Joplin. It is a massive undertaking.”

Photo courtesy of the International Buisness Times

As the Red Cross met the immediate needs of the people affected, Disaster Assessment (DA) teams were sent out to determine resources and staff that would be necessary for an efficient and effective response. Red Cross DA teams visited thousands of homes to determine the effect on residents and to make sure we help. Caseworkers are following up with these affected residents to help them get their lives back on track.

As of June 27, 2011, the Red Cross has:

• Opened 33 shelters for affected residents

• Provided nearly 8,200 overnight shelter stays

• Served more than 390,000 meals and snacks

• Distributed more than 5,000 hygiene kits and clean-up kits, which includes essential items such as mops, dust masks, and gloves.

• Provided approximately 175,000 bulk items, such as rakes and tarps

• Enlisted the hard work of approximately 1,350 Red Cross workers

• Deployed 36 Emergency Response Vehicles

• Consulted nearly 15,000 affected residents on their health and mental health needs.

With your support, the Red Cross can be there for families and individuals affected by disasters. Thank you for helping us continue this life saving work. Your support is critical to providing a safe, warm and dry place to stay, food, emotional support and many other kinds of assistance- whenever and wherever disaster strikes. 

To learn how you can help, visit us online at www.buffaloredcross.org.

Article and data courtesy of The American Red Cross.

Are you prepared to travel?



Photo courtesy of newsone.com and AP.

As the weather warms up, we often pack our bags and begin to travel away from our safe haven here in WNY.  No longer are snowstorms, flooding, and the occasional house fire the only things you need to worry about... You may now be in crosshairs of an earthquake, tornado, or even a hurricane!
This is why we urge everyone to learn all they can about what you do during those types of disasters so that regardless of where you are in the world, you’ll be prepared!! So today, we’ve decided to talk about hurricanes!

What is a hurricane?

A hurricane is a strong storm that can cause life­and property­threatening hazards such as flooding, storm surge, high winds and tornadoes.

What are the different type of hurricane warnings?

A hurricane watch is when conditions are a threat within 48 hours. Review your hurricane plans, keep informed and be ready to act if a warning is issued.

A hurricane warning is when conditions are expected within 36 hours. Complete your storm preparations and leave the area if directed to do so by authorities.

Don’t have your emergency kit yet?

Emergency preparedness kits should be made so that you can respond to any sort of emergency, whether it is a fire, flood, tornado or earthquake, you should be able to grab your kit and survive on your own for a minimum of 3 days. 



Haven’t made your kit yet? Want to learn more about hurricanes? Click here to learn more.

Communities coming together

photo courtesy of the bleacher report

Something that we love about the communities across the country is how they all come together to help during a disaster.  Here in Buffalo, we’re no different.  Buffalo Bills punter, Brian Moorman, announced that his team will join with New Era Cap Co. to make a donation of at least $10,000 to the American Red Cross to support relief efforts in Joplin, Mo., which was ravaged by tornadoes late last month.

New Era will provide 10,000 pieces of clothing to residents in the Joplin area. Moorman also is auctioning off a game-worn Bills jersey on eBay, with the proceeds going to the Red Cross. Moorman's college, Pittsburg State, is less than 30 minutes from Joplin. To learn more about this partnership, click here to read the rest of the Buffalo News article. 

Responding to the deadly Midwest tornadoes

Just hours after a series of devastating tornadoes swept through the Midwest last night, the American Red Cross opened shelters in Missouri and Minnesota to help those whose homes were damaged or destroyed.   

“Our thoughts and sympathies are with those who lost loved ones or have suffered through these deadly storms,” said Charley Shimanski, senior vice president, Red Cross Disaster Services. “The Red Cross already has people on the ground to help in these communities, and we have more on the way today.”

Shelter’s were opened in Joblin, Missouri at Missouri Southern State University, which had approximately 110 people on Sunday night and is capable of holding up to 1,000 people, and another in Minneapolis where 200 people spent the night on Sunday.

Hundreds of relief supplies are being moved from Red Cross warehouses to Joplin and other affected areas, which include comfort kits, tarps, coolers, rakes and other cleanup supplies. The Red Cross is also sending in additional staff, concentrating particularly on trained health and mental health workers, including two Buffalo Chapter volunteers. Jan Bartee, of Kenmore, NY, and Peggy McGee-Smith, of Kenmore, NY, will be leaving tomorrow afternoon for Joplin, Missouri. 

In addition to volunteers, emergency response vehicles will help transport supplies to the shelters and an emergency communications vehicle due to damage sustained on area infrastructure. 

As the Red Cross’ response in the Midwest begins, it continues its relief operations across the South in response to April’s tornadoes and the continued flooding along the Mississippi River. This spring, more than half of the country has been affected by damaging weather, disrupting people’s lives from North Dakota to the East Coast. Since March 31, Red Cross disaster workers have provided thousands of overnight stays in shelters, distributed thousands of cleanup and comfort kits and served more than 1.8 million meals and snacks.

The Red Cross depends on financial donations to help in times of disaster. Those who want to help people affected by disasters like tornadoes, floods and wildfires, as well as countless crises at home and around the world, can make a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. This gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for and provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance in response to disasters. Visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS; people can also text the word “REDCROSS” to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to local American Red Cross chapters or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

If you would like to donate your time as one of our amazing volunteers, please visit us online or contact Mary Walls of the Buffalo Chapter at 716-878-2140 or wallsma@usa.redcross.org.

Graduating to good

For most college students, graduation is a time of celebration and job hunting. But for Elly Fisher, her graduation party from the UB School of Social Work will consist of travelling to volunteer with the American Red Cross for a two-week deployment to Louisiana to aid in relief efforts.

The Buffalo Chapter has gotten to know Elly over the past academic year as she interned with us in our Emergency Services department.  On top of her internship,  she was a member of the Disaster Action Team.  She responded to fires across Western New York and even helped with the sheltering efforts following the closure of the NYS Thruway in December.

Going along with Elly is longtime American Red Cross Disaster Mental Health volunteer Tara Hughes.  Over her 10 years working with the Red Cross, Tara has helped provide counseling and comfort to countless people following disasters down the street, across the country, and around the world and she is on track to become the first Disaster Mental Health Chief in New York State. 

Elly and Tara will join 12 other staff and volunteers from the Greater Buffalo Chapter who have been deployed to help in the American Red Cross relief efforts since severe weather began hitting the nation on March 31st.  To date, the American Red Cross has opened more than 180 shelters in the 18 states affected by wildfires, flooding, and tornadoes, serving over a million meals and has provided more than 30,000 health and medical consultations.

Individuals wishing to support the American Red Cross relief efforts in the south can:

•             Text the word “REDCROSS” to 90999 to send a $10 donation.  The charge will appear on your next cell phone bill

•             Call 1-800-REDCROSS

•             Visit www.redcross.org

 For more information on how you can volunteer with our Disaster Action Team, please click here.