A Year of Remarkable Challenges

By every measure the year 2020 has been one that won’t soon be forgotten. From a total of seven named hurricanes, five named tropical storms, wildfires that burned over 9.5 million acres and the greatest loss of life caused by tornadoes since 2011, nature’s wrath was felt far and wide. Overshadowing the already very difficult conditions caused by these natural disasters has been a global pandemic, the likes of which hadn’t been seen for generations.    

Nevertheless, despite such serious challenges, the American Red Cross is there to meet the needs and adapt in ways that allow for successfully providing critical basic services to thousands of people affected by such dramatic and stressful conditions. This accomplishment was only made possible by dedicated Red Cross volunteers like the Southern Tier Chapter's Don Lamanna.

A native of the Mohawk Valley, Don is no stranger to working in difficult situations to help others.    Now retired from a 30-year career with the Oneonta Fire Department and service as an emergency medical technician, as well as a motor coach driver, Don notes he wasn’t content with “just sitting around and watching television” news stories about disasters in which he might help out.  So when news of August 2018 flash flooding in the Finger Lakes region came across the screen, he was quick to make his first Red Cross deployment relatively close to home.   Since then Don’s passion for serving others in their time of need has led to his creating a log book so that the number of Red Cross deployments in which his has taken part won’t be forgotten.   In 2020 alone Don’s log gained four new entries which now brings the total number of times he’s deployed since 2018 to 11.   Deployments in 2020 sent him to the Philadelphia area following Tropical Storm Isaias, Baton Rouge and New Orleans in support of hurricane recovery operations, and twice to Oregon wildfires.   

To his further credit, Don performs more than one role with the Red Cross and reports that when he arrives at a deployment the first thing he does is ask what needs to be done that he can help with. Such duties have included damage assessment to determine areas where localized Red Cross assistance is needed as well as serving as a mass care supervisor. During this year’s deployment to Louisiana Don helped supervise the care of 380 displaced people who were provided with accommodations in commercial lodging to avoid the potential spread of COVID-19 in the close quarters of congregate sheltering.   Other adaptive measures were Red Cross services like health counseling that were provided by volunteers remotely by computers. While Don is not shy about acknowledging that his experience and interests don’t include computer skills,  he was equally ready to point out that other volunteers with such skills were close at hand to take care of that part of what was needed. By and large Don was very pleased to observe that, during his deployments this year, the public in general followed Center for Disease Control COVID-19 guidance in a manner akin to that practiced by the Red Cross.

Teamwork and support outside the deployment is also something Don is aware of and keenly appreciates.   When at his home in Oneonta he volunteers several days a week at a busy local food pantry. In his absences that has also included mandatory self-quarantines upon returning home from deployments, other volunteers, among whom his wife, Sallyann, is one, step up to carry out the work he would normally be performing.

Then too, adding even more to the year’s remarkable achievements is the fact that while all of these Red Cross responses to natural disasters were taking place, irreplaceable, ongoing routine services like community blood drives and Disaster Assistance Teams that respond 24/7 to emergencies such as residential home fires likewise continued.   

Whether contributing financially, donating blood, or through volunteer service like Don Lamanna’s, there are a wide range of opportunities for others who would like to be part of the gratifying and crucial work the American Red Cross has provided for almost 140 years.  Learn more by visiting redcross.org.

Story by Robert Eurich, American Red Cross

Service runs deep for American Red Cross volunteer

 “Keeping busy by being useful” is a key reason why retired career U.S. Army officer, Bruce Ressner, says he has become an American Red Cross volunteer. In so doing he has joined hundreds of volunteers in the Western New York Region. 

Nationally, volunteers make up 90 percent of the Red Cross workforce who attend to a wide variety of tasks such as running blood drives and teaching classes to providing for emergency needs of those affected by major disasters.  Red Cross volunteers like Bruce come from all sorts of backgrounds and communities but they also share many things in common.  Among those common traits is a desire to help and be of service to others.  Based in the Southern Tier, Bruce knows a few things about service and brings with him a wealth of experience to the roles he plays.

A West Point Military Academy graduate, dad, grandfather, and husband of 28 years to his wife Mary,  “Rezz,” as he likes to be called, only became a Red Cross volunteer in 2019 but quickly stepped up to apply his skills and interests to areas of need. One of the tasks he takes care of is overseeing a centrally located Red Cross warehouse containing everything from cots, blankets, personal comfort kits and shovels to power generators and lights.  

Not surprisingly, Bruce also participates in Service to the Armed Forces, logging between 80 to 120 follow-up calls a month helping to ensure military personnel and their families are aware of counseling and support that’s available to them.

Although health concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has put a hold on  the Red Cross “Sound the Alarm” initiative, Rezz has likewise taken part in the project that installs free smoke alarms in homes and offers fire safety information to families.   When not dedicating his time to the Red Cross, Bruce also serves as a driver for Meals on Wheels as well as filling in where needed at the Binghamton German Club.

Adding to his impressive dedication to service, Rezz went on his first Red Cross deployment this year in support of services being provided to Texas and Louisiana following Hurricane Laura.   Deploying again is something he says ranks high on his list of goals.

While not everyone can engage in as robust a manner as Bruce has, whether contributing financially, donating blood or through volunteer service, there are a wide range of opportunities for others who would like to be part of the impactful, ongoing work the American Red Cross has provided since its founding in 1881.  Learn more by visiting redcross.org/volunteertoday

Story by Robert Eurich, American Red Cross

Red Cross team member shares ‘full circle’ experiences that inspire her to give back

Sarah Judkins says she didn’t fully appreciate the constant need for blood donors – even when she began working for the American Red Cross.

It wasn’t until a year later when she was called away from work at a blood drive due to a family emergency. She learned that her brother was experiencing complications from a planned surgical procedure, and upon arriving at the hospital still wearing her scrubs from the blood drive, the first thing she saw hanging over his bed was a unit of donated blood.

It was at that moment Sarah made a deep-rooted connection. “This is what I do every day, and now it has touched my family personally,” she recalled thinking at the time. She says her brother would’ve lost his life that day had he not received multiple blood transfusions made possible by volunteer blood donors.

Sarah experienced additional “full circle” moments years later when her mother, Jane, who suffered from a degenerative bone disease, went to the hospital for a seventh hip surgery and needed platelets in order to move forward with the procedure. Eight months later, Jane again received donor blood in the form of plasma, platelets and red cells when she underwent open heart surgery.

A regular donor herself, Sarah currently gives platelets and plasma and has rolled up her sleeves 14 times already this year alone in order to make a difference for others facing the unexpected.

This summer, Sarah honored the anniversary of her mother’s passing by donating blood, accompanied by an unusual guest, “Phyllis the Flamingo” (pictured). Phyllis was a gift from Sarah’s mother – renowned for practical jokes – and ended up being the last gift her mother ever gave her. Around the time Sarah received Phyllis, her mother was unable to join the family on a summer vacation, so Phyllis came along for the journey instead.  Sarah documented it all in a special photo album that was gifted back to Jane to help lift her spirits on the morning of her cardiac surgery.

Today, Sarah says she looks at Phyllis and smiles not only remembering her mother, but also celebrating the precious gift of time that blood donors gave her family for the eight months between her mother’s surgeries.

She finds meaning working with Red Cross collections team because it places her close to the organization’s mission and allows her to help ensure donors have a great experience and return for future donations. During this uncertain time, the Red Cross needs healthy, eligible individuals to give blood or platelets for patients battling disease and facing the unexpected, now and in the weeks and months to come. 

Appointments can be scheduled through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 800-RED-CROSS.

"Not every family is touched by the need for blood and my family was impacted by blood donors more than once,” Sarah remarked. “Next time it may be someone else’s family who has that critical need and I want to be sure I am doing my part to be there for them.”

Story by: Katie Potter, American Red Cross 

Western New York Region Remembers John "Jack" Miller

 

Jack Miller: December 13, 1928 - July 22, 2020

"Take an hour to save a life." That was the self-proclaimed motto of Jack Miller, an Auburn resident and lifelong American Red Cross blood donor and volunteer. Jack passed away in July, leaving behind his loving wife and family, and an incredible legacy of community giving.  

Jack started donating blood in 1949 while attending the University of Pennsylvania. By the time he retired from Sylvania Electronics Corporation, Jack had donated 104 pints of blood, an impressive 13 gallons! In his retirement, Jack began to dedicate even more time to the Red Cross by becoming a volunteer with the Cayuga County blood services team. 

He began his support of the organization phoning donors, coordinating blood drives, and transporting donations, all while continuing to roll up his own sleeve to give the gift of life anytime he was eligible. In June 2000, after 52 years and 340 units donated (120 whole blood, 143 platelet, and 77 plasma), Jack was deferred indefinitely due to a condition that required he take blood thinning medication.

Jack viewed his inability to continue to give blood as simply “another door opening.” That same year, he turned his time and tireless efforts each and every month toward managing a regular blood drive held at the United Methodist Church in Auburn. This special drive soon became known as “Jack’s Drive,” the output of which he proudly grew by more than double, consistently averaging 100 donors or more and impacting tens of thousands of lives over the years.

Jack knew how important his drive was to our blood supply, and in turn he was known to run a tight ship. Each month, he made over 300 calls to area donors – some multiple times – to ensure his drive would be a success. He ran registration and would make sure there were copies of the local paper on hand just in case of a wait. After each month’s drive, Jack sent personal thank you letters and recognized milestone donations.

“When I think about Jack, it brings a smile to my face. I can still see him with one of his many Red Cross T-shirts on, which he wore with such pride,” said Roberta Kryk, a Red Cross Account Manager in Rochester.

As time passed and Jack began stepping back from his 110% hands-on approach, he would still stop in each month with his wife, Dot, to ensure things were running to his expectations (and collect his favorite Cheez-Its from the refreshment area).

“Jack’s commitment to the local blood donors and hospital recipients is well-known and respected by many. His personal touch and sense of caring paired with a tenacious spirit made him a shining star in our Red Cross family, and he will be greatly missed” said Shawn O’Hargan, Regional Market Manager, American Red Cross Blood Services.

Over the years, he built a resume of accolades including Volunteer of the Year (2001-2002), Individual Outstanding Contributions Award (2004), Blood Services Volunteer Award and Real Heroes Blood Donor Award (2013).

The Red Cross will hold a blood drive in Jack’s memory in the coming months at the Auburn United Methodist Church where his monthly drive took place, honoring his more than two decades stewarding the Red Cross’ lifesaving mission.

The Miller family has asked that any contributions in Jack’s memory be made to the American Red Cross, 825 John Street, West Henrietta, NY 14586 (Memo: In Memory of Jack Miller).

Story by: Katie Potter, American Red Cross 

Putting Things into Perspective

"My mother is on oxygen; I think she could use a visit.”

Richard McCorry, a Red Cross Disaster Spiritual Care volunteer from Western New York, was in the lobby of the Sheraton in Arlington, Texas, when one of the Hurricane Laura evacuees sheltering there approached him with that request. When McCorry and his partner made their way to the woman’s room, they met an 89-year-old woman who was forced to evacuate when Laura devastated her hometown of Lake Charles, Louisiana.

“Three months earlier, she was diagnosed with COVID,” McCorry said. “She developed blood clots in her lungs and is now permanently on oxygen.”

The Red Cross is taking multiple safety precautions to continue provide help and hope when such as Hurricane Laura strike during this public health crisis, including prioritizing individual hotel rooms or opening more shelters that can support fewer people then normal to help with social distancing, wearing masks, and using enhanced cleaning and disinfecting purposes. Two weeks after Laura made landfall, more than 7,000 people in Texas are still staying in emergency lodgings, state and Red Cross supported shelters and hotels, with more than double that number in Louisiana. The Red Cross has served more than 47,000 meals and snacks with partners across Texas. While not nearly as visible, Health Services, Disaster Mental Health, and Disaster Spiritual Care volunteers like McCorry have made more than, 4,800 individual care contacts to help people like this 89-year-old woman from Lake Charles deal with the emotional toll a disaster like this can inflict.

“Her husband left her this year, too,” McCorry learned. “We asked what we could do for her. On the verge of tears, she said, ‘Pray for me.’ And we did.”

“I’ve found that one of the gifts of volunteering is perspective,” says McCorry, who has deployed on multiple disaster relief operations during his volunteer career. “If I think I’m having a bad day, I think of her. I haven’t had a bad day in my life. I continue to pray for her.”

Red Cross volunteers often report that they get more from their experience than the people they’re serving. Right now, the Red Cross needs volunteers to help in our community and that are willing to deploy to support national relief operations in the COVID-19 environment. To learn more about how you can start receiving some of the “gifts” Richard describes while helping your neighbors in need, visit www.redcross.org/volunteertoday.

Story by: Jay Bonafede, American Red Cross

Melanie Davis gets baby supplies at a hotel that is being used as an
American Red Cross shelter for families affected by Hurricane
Laura, in New Orleans, LA on Thursday, September 3, 2020.
Photo by Scott Dalton/American Red Cross

"Smiles for Seth" Blood Drive Held in Eight-Year-Old's Memory

‘Smiles for Seth’ Fire Safety Event to Resume in 2021

On August 13, 2020, the American Red Cross hosted a blood drive in memory of Seth Creenan at Glendale Elementary School. In 2018, Seth was in third grade when he tragically passed away at eight years old due to a fire in his family’s Tonawanda home. 

Mike Zekas, Seth Creenan’s grandfather, standing in front of a mural at Glendale Elementary School (Seth is the child holding the sign in the mural).

“The school district played a huge part in our healing process, their outreach to us was amazing,” said Mike Zekas, Seth’s grandfather. 

Seth’s family agreed to honor him through a blood drive this year after plans for the second annual Smiles for Seth fire safety and prevention event were put on hold due to COVID-19. The blood drive was successful, collecting 24 units of blood, which can help save up to 72 lives. The need for blood is constant, even during a pandemic. Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control.

The goal of the Smiles for Seth event is to work together with local fire departments and the Red Cross to increase awareness of the importance of fire safety among families -- and ultimately save lives. The first event was arranged in June 2019 with the help of Seth’s family, Glendale Elementary School administration and local  Red Cross leadership. 

The Red Cross provided assistance to Zekas’ family immediately following the October 2018 house fire by arranging hotel accommodations. Later on, when a local Red Cross board member learned that a fire safety event in Seth’s memory was in the works, they offered to incorporate the Sound the Alarm program.  

“The Red Cross has been on board with us through the entire process and they were just as disappointed as we are about not being able to do the event this year,” Zekas added. 

Zekas hopes the event will continue to help capture parents’ attention. “The fire departments will come to the school and often do a fire drill at the school and hand out pamphlets to take home, and a lot of the time the parents don't really pay attention,” said Zekas. “Statistics show that there are not a lot of school fires, there are a lot of fires at home.” 

Did you know that if a fire starts in your home you may have as little as two minutes to escape?

Does your family have an escape plan?

Have you practiced that escape plan? 

Do you have smoke alarms? 

When is the last time you checked to make sure your smoke alarms are working? 

It is important to educate yourself, educate your family and be prepared.

“If we can prevent one family from going through what we have gone through, then we have done our job,” said Zekas

The stage was set for this year’s Smiles for Seth event to expand, with plans to involve each elementary school and all of the local fire companies after the Sweet Home district superintendent witnessed the impact Smiles for Seth had in 2019. Zekas is thankful for the continued support from the community, and hopes to resume the event in 2021 when community members can safely attend. 

In times of crisis, the Red Cross is fortunate to witness the best of humanity as people roll up a sleeve to help those in need. Because about 80% of blood donations are made at drives hosted by community organizations, schools and businesses, the Red Cross urgently needs the help of both blood donors and blood drive hosts to ensure blood products are readily available for patients. Learn more and sign up to sponsor a drive by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/HostADrive.  

Blood and platelet donors can make an appointment through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, by calling 1-800-RED CROSS, or by enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

Story by: Nicole Mauro, American Red Cross

"We helped them when they needed it most"

Editors note: Christine Balestra is a Disaster Action Team (DAT) volunteer in Tompkins County, and shared her story of a pre COVID-19 fire response:

I was dispatched with the rest of my DAT team around 3 a.m. on October 22, 2019 to an apartment complex for a multiple unit fire response. We arrived on the scene while it was still active and it was somewhat chaotic.  There were fire departments from multiple agencies fighting the blaze, and one of the agencies allowed us to use their extra fire truck to interview clients.  All 10 or so of the affected apartment units in the building were deemed unlivable.

All residents were accounted for by the fire chief when we arrived, but since it was the middle of the night, two families left the scene as we arrived (more on that below) and most people were in pajamas and didn't have much with them.  The people in the truck were visibly shaken, scared and tired, but one resident made sure as many of her neighbors as possible stayed in the truck to get interviewed.  

My team of four broke into teams of two to interview and provide client assistance.  One by one, they told us their stories - some hearing a "pop" sound and thinking it might be the wind; some smelling smoke and realizing that the fire was in the main hallway that connected all of the first floor units (all of the front doors faced the hallways).  Residents on the first floor fled through the back sliding doors onto their back patio and screamed for their neighbors to get out.  They then helped their second floor neighbors and their children jump from balconies to safety.  Everyone got out and everyone survived, albeit some with injuries.  There were two cats - one was accounted for that night and another ended up at Cornell's Veterinary hospital (I think she ended up ok).

None of the people I interviewed knew about Red Cross assistance, so they were all extremely grateful when we explained the assistance available to them.  To coordinate shelter for the group, one of the residents contacted a hotel that was located within walking distance from the fire - and the hotel offered to house the clients for free for the night.  Most of the families ended up at the hotel.

That night, we provided blankets, comfort kits, Mickey's and assistance cards to 8 families. One of my team mates also literally gave a victim the shoes he was wearing because that person ran out of his unit without putting shoes on.  This man was more concerned about getting his kitty companion out of the apartment (calmest cat I ever encountered - he sat quietly in the client's lap as I filled out paperwork). 

Two families left the scene immediately before we arrived at the fire. One sought shelter at a local church that night; the other ended up at the hotel with the rest of the group later that morning. So another team member and I followed up with these residents the next evening.  Both families were from another country and English was their second language.  One family was so grateful that they wanted to take pictures of my team mate and I to remember us by.  They also gave us hugs.

On a personal level, this DAT call was very rewarding for me.  Although it was a lot of people to serve at 3 in the morning, the level of service we could provide and the appreciation we received made it all worth it.  Some of these people lost everything they had and it made me feel like we helped them when they most needed it.

If you'd like to feel the same satisfaction from helping your community, start your Red Cross story at www.redcross.org/volunteer. You can also make a financial gift to help make our mission possible at www.redcross.org/donate.  

A Birthday Blood Donation Tradition

Eilish Cumbo celebrates her 30th birthday by
making her 56th blood donation

“Happy birthday to you...” is a tune we expect to hear at a family gathering, in an elementary school classroom or even at a restaurant. But at a blood donation center? 

Buffalo resident, Eilish Cumbo, recently flipped the script on the traditional birthday celebration. The Western New York Red Cross board member and regular blood donor is so dedicated, she scheduled her 56th blood donation – putting her at the 7 gallon mark – to take place on her 30th birthday as a special way to mark both major milestones.

She shares that growing up, both of her parents were regular blood donors.  Eilish can remember tagging along to their blood donation appointments. While there, the canteen volunteer would tell Eilish and her siblings they could have a cookie, but only if they promised to donate blood when they got older. She made good on her promise and started donating blood at the age of 16, and hasn’t stopped yet.

While there isn’t a specific story or occurrence tied to why she gives, she says, “I know someone out there needs it, and that is enough of a reason for me.” That person could be a trauma patient, someone fighting cancer, an organ transplant recipient or a sickle cell warrior. Eilish has type O- blood, so she knows her donation is especially important to helping patients in emergency situations.  A busy full-time job, completing (multiple!) advanced degrees, and even a global pandemic couldn’t pause Eilish’s commitment to giving lifesaving blood.

“Knowing that I am doing something small - and very easy - to help others is what motivates me to

WNY Chapter Board Member, Eilish Cumbo,
has donated seven gallons of blood so far

donate, and what led me to join the Board of Directors for the WNY American Red Cross so that I can make an even greater impact on the community,” she explained. “Every blood donation can help save up to three lives, so that is 168 people that may have been helped by my small action. Not a bad impact for fulfilling that promise to get a cookie.”

Want to start a new birthday tradition of your own? The American Red Cross urges healthy individuals to give blood or platelets for patients battling disease and facing the unexpected. Each day, the American Red Cross needs to collect nearly 13,000 blood donations and more than 2,600 platelet donations to meet the needs of patients at about 2,500 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country. If you are feeling well, please make an appointment to give by using the Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

Story and Photos by: Katie Potter, American Red Cross
External Communications Manager

COVID-19 Drives Board Member to Donate Blood After 30-Year Hiatus

WNY Chapter Board Member, Mark Meyerhofer,
donating blood at the Union Road Donation Center
in Cheektowaga in June 2020

Mark Meyerhofer, a Board Member with the American Red Cross, Western New York Chapter, donated blood last month for the first time since he was in high school. He was understandably hesitant throughout the years after fainting the last time around. Now, just over 30 years later, he decided to give it another shot. 

The Red Cross has an urgent need for blood donations to prevent another blood shortage as hospitals resume surgical procedures and patient treatments that were temporarily paused earlier this spring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Blood drives continue to be canceled as many businesses and community organizations remain closed, but locations still welcoming donors are taking extensive precautions to help minimize the possibility of exposure and keep donors safe. In other words, there is no better time than now to take action, and Meyerhofer answered the call. 

“Right away, they put you at ease,” said Meyerhofer. “The door is locked when you arrive, someone comes out to escort you, they check your temperature at the door and again when you are doing your screening. They went above and beyond and I want to stress that.”

Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control. To ensure the health of staff and donors, precautions include:

• Checking temperatures of staff and donors before entering a drive to make sure they are healthy. 
• Providing hand sanitizer for use before entering the drives, as well as throughout the donation process.
• Following social distancing between donors including entry, donation and refreshment areas.
• Ensuring face masks or coverings are worn by both staff and donors.
• Routinely disinfecting surfaces, equipment and donor-touched areas.

While tens of thousands of donors gave blood in response to an initial blood shortage caused by this coronavirus outbreak, it’s important to remember that red blood cells must be transfused within 42 days of donation and platelets within just five days, so they must constantly be replenished.

In retrospect, Meyerhofer decided to donate at the perfect time. 

“By the time I went to donate, we were at the point of elective surgeries restarting and of course you need blood supply for that,” said Meyerhofer. 

And this time, things went much smoother as his fears of fainting subsided. 

“I am happy to do it, and it was a good experience. I already signed up for my next appointment in August!”

Meyerhofer has held a position on the Red Cross WNY Chapter Board since the fall of 2019. He currently works at Charter Communications in Buffalo, NY as the director of government relations. He began collaborating with the Red Cross when Charter Communications sponsored the Red Cross’ annual Sound the Alarm event in early 2018.

Meyerhofer’s reasons for accepting the board position and donating again go beyond the ramifications of COVID-19. Supporting those who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces has always been part of the mission of the Red Cross, and that resonated with Meyerhofer. 

“My father, who passed away almost a year ago, served in the Korean War and he had always talked about his affinity for the Red Cross because they had helped him when he was deployed and needed to get back home to his father who had fallen ill,” said Meyerhofer. “My dad had said all of his life that he would continue to give to the Red Cross until his dying days in return for what they did for him. It was always near and dear to him, therefore there had always been that personal connection for me.”

Meyerhofer encourages anyone who is considering donating, or like himself, has not donated in a long time, to start the conversation and hear others’ experiences. 

“It’s about finding a way to help out and give back,” said Meyerhofer. “I love that you are able to track exactly where your blood goes through the app, it makes it even more rewarding.”

You can download the Red Cross Blood Donor App today and schedule an appointment. As a humanitarian organization, we are committed to helping others in meaningful ways during this pandemic. The Red Cross is testing all blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies to provide donors insight into whether they may have been exposed to this coronavirus. To learn more, visit www.redcrossblood.org.

Story by: Nicole Mauro, American Red Cross

Communications Volunteer

Fire! When DAT’s Diane Met Blood Service’s Thaddeus

It was 3AM when Thaddeus Nauden noticed the flames licking at his window. Was this just a bad dream? Unfortunately, it wasn’t. The home that Thaddeus had carefully designed and furnished — including his newly installed hardwood floors — was aflame. In minutes he was on the front lawn, filming a video in disbelief. Thankfully, help was on the way.

Across the city, Diane Sargent was springing into action, ready to help those in her community.   A twenty-year veteran of the American Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT), Diane was no stranger to late-night fire calls.   Originally, she’d thought the Red Cross was just for blood donations — something we hear quite often — and was intrigued to learn about our wider mission. Disaster action pro

Disaster Action Team volunteer, Diane Sargent, (L)
with Laurie Hagen  at the George R. Brown
Convention Center in Houston, TX during the
response to Hurricane Harvey

ved to be her calling, and now, she’s completed over 80 deployments to disaster zones across the country. You too may be familiar with the Red Cross’s response to large-scale disasters, setting up shelters and distributing supplies to affected communities. But often, our DAT volunteers face much more intimate scenes of devastation: house fires.

Volunteering with DAT, Diane says, equips her to be able to deal with large groups of people in need. Thankfully, those skills are very transferrable to one-one-one communication — so, en route to the fire, Diane called Thaddeus. She wanted to make sure he was holding up OK and comfortable meeting face-to-face. During the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining physical distancing is an important part of keeping safe. DAT volunteers have to make sure they’re not endangering anyone they’re there to help.

This wouldn’t be Thaddeus’s first encounter with the Red Cross.  In fact, he had started as a volunteer in 2010, and signed on as a Blood Services employee in 2012. In his role, Thaddeus makes sure that hospitals have enough blood for important operations. From organizing blood drives to managing the logistics that link donors to patients, Blood Services is a critical part of the Red Cross. On the night that Thaddeus’s home caught fire, these two parts of the Red Cross — Blood Services and DAT — came together when Diane arrived on the scene. One awkward, pandemic-friendly greeting later, and Diane put her DAT training into action.

Beginning anew after a house fire is hard and losing everything can be catastrophic. It’s why Red Cross’s DAT teams act quickly to offer immediate assistance for those needing housing, food, and clothes. The services offered to the community by DAT, which also include emotional support and referrals to help with long-term recovery, are so often surprising that even Thaddeus, an employee of the Red Cross, was amazed at how much Diane and her team were able to provide.

We talked with Thaddeus about his plans for rebuilding. You can picture him with a smile as he verbally sketches out his next play — a new house, of course — but one that’s a little less lavishly outfitted. He loved the support he received from not only DAT, but his co-workers too, including Vicki Smith.

If you’ve just become aware of the critical work DAT does responding to house fires, consider volunteering Emergencies don’t stop, and you can help the Red Cross continue to our lifesaving mission during this public health emergency by donating at www.redcross.org.

Story by: Tim Snedden, American Red Cross

Communications Volunteer

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

Providing COVID Family Support Virtually

Just as the world has been placed on pause, so has life as we know it. For many the cause behind that pause has brought the emotional heartbreak of losing loved ones to the virus.  The normal processes that are involved in losing a loved one have become more complicated due to COVID-19, which brings even greater stress.

Tara Hughes has served as Disaster Mental Health lead
following numerous mass casualty events across the country,
including the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, FL.

With the help of volunteers like Tara Hughes, the American Red Cross is offering virtual support and assistance to families suffering those losses. Tara, along with other specifically trained volunteers, are supporting a “Family Assistance Center” where virtual, confidential support is offered.  Tara, Northeast Division Disaster Mental Health Advisor, states, “The program provides counselors for emotional and spiritual support and assists in the processes needed dealing with the death of a loved one.”

Those processes include working with hospitals, nursing homes, funeral homes, and coroners; as well as aiding in death certificates, vehicle title changes and any other services related to the death of a loved one. Volunteers are also providing emotional and spiritual care, delivering comfort and hope during these difficult days.

Although this is the first large scale virtual attempt at a Family Assistance Center, Hughes says families taking advantage of this service have expressed their appreciation for being able to connect when everything is harder than normal in losing a loved one. People and technology have united to provide licensed volunteers that are well trained working with people in times of crisis. The virtual Family Assistance Center launched on April 29th and will remain available thru December. The virtual teams are all over New York state and have eagerly jumped into providing and continuing to provide a connection and assistance to those suffering and grieving. Team members call people who fill out online forms (see links) or call an intake number.

The following links are to an online intake form which can be submitted by a family member, a friend, or an agency on behalf of the family.

ENGLISH: www.redcross.org/NYSCOVIDFamilySupport

SPANISH: www.redcross.org/NYSCOVIDApoyoFamiliar

For those without online access—the following phone number will link the caller to an intake person who will assist with the initial steps: 585-957-8187

Story by: Bobbie Krukowski, Communications Volunteer

Volunteer Spotlight: Disaster Services Technology Lead John Hatch

In observation of National Volunteer Week, we are highlighting some of our extraordinary volunteers who serve our communities every day.

Today, communications volunteer Tim Snedden introduces us to Disaster Services Technology Lead John Hatch.

Picture a blood drive, and the equipment used to make it happen. Phlebotomists move around beds with confidence, carefully handling blood bags and needles. Packages of cookies crackle as they’re set down beside water bottles standing in neat formation. These days, American Red Cross volunteers screen donors with thermometers at the door, and masks make smiling with your eyes a necessity. All of these are crucial pieces of gear for any blood drive, but something’s missing from the list.

Any guesses?

How about computers? From completing your RapidPass on a tablet, to staff recording your questionnaire answers on a laptop, digital technology is critical for facilitating the mission of the Red Cross. Today we’re introducing you to John Hatch, Disaster Services Technology Lead. He’s the man behind the curtain, so to speak, managing the technological foundation of Western New York’s Red Cross activities.

John Hatch

Before joining the Red Cross, John worked for New York’s canal system. After retiring, he sought to give back to his community and began volunteering with his local Disaster Action Team (DAT). Suffice to say, he quickly became hooked, and entered into a Disaster Services Technology role soon after.

This new role came with a set of challenges that John met head-on. Maintaining existing equipment remains a constant necessity. At the same time, modernizing the Red Cross by replacing obsolete equipment is always important, although budget restrictions create a delicate balance that’s surely familiar to any IT professional.

It’s not all about the technology, either. John works with a batch of volunteers who help him with a variety of ongoing projects including a new phone system and device refreshes. “It’s important to keep volunteers involved by giving them meaningful tasks,” he says. It’s easy to tell that he’s very fond of his team.

Much like how a computer is an assembly of unique and important parts, John is proud of the collaborative efforts he’s been involved in with the Red Cross. In Buffalo this past January, a variety of volunteers came together for a joint blood drive and telethon. While part of the group hit the phones in one room, donors gave blood in the other. Communications volunteers wrangled a TV news spot and monetary donations and blood donation appointments flowed in. By all accounts it was a great collaborative success, facilitated by the technology that John and his team managed.

John’s focus has shifted since the COVID-19 outbreak, which has created an increased need for technology. In-person meetings are not recommended while we practice physical distancing, but face-to-face communication remains important. The solution? Ensuring DAT team members have the phones they need to video chat with their clients, ensuring vital support without physical contact. It can be hard to adjust, but given the right tools, volunteers are adapting to the new situation. If anything, the increased need for technology has helped to illustrate how important it is to almost every organization.

Unfortunately, the outbreak has kept John from his annual trip to the white sands of Myrtle

Beach. He shrugs it off, though: “It’s only delayed,” he told me, “and there’s always next year.”

Interested in helping the American Red Cross? Learn more about becoming a volunteer here or contact your local Red Cross chapter for more information.

Providing Customer Service as a Blood Services Volunteer

“I bring to my job, whatever I do, the customer service I learned at Wegmans,” says Red Cross volunteer, Sue Kirkland. “Treat customers the way I would hope they would treat me.”

Sue Kirkland and her canine companion Susie

After retiring from Wegmans in 2018, Kirkland immediately restarted an old habit that dated back to her high school days: donating blood every two months. While donating on February 6, she mentioned to one of the Red Cross team members that she’d be interested in becoming a volunteer as well.

“I came on board just in time for COVID!”, Kirkland said. She was scheduled to work in her initial role as a Blood Donor Ambassador at Kenmore West High School in Western New York the first day the Red Cross began requiring health screenings for staff and donors prior to entering a blood drive to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. She stepped in as Blood Drive Screener that day, asking health questions, taking temperatures and providing hand sanitizer for everyone as they entered the drive.

“Baptism by fire,” Kirkland says. “I just did it, then it became the norm.” Of course, there is very little normal about these uncertain times, and additional precautions have since been added to ensure the safety of everyone entering any Red Cross facility or community blood drive, including wearing face masks. Kirkland says everyone has been grateful for the safety measures the Red Cross has implemented, including herself.

“At one of the first drives, someone pointed out that I’m in a higher risk group being over 60, and asked if I felt comfortable,” she says. “I feel confident in what I’ve been doing to keep myself safe so that I can keep others safe.”

Kirkland also says she’s comfortable in knowing that the Red Cross staff, especially her supervisor, Aaron Wilson, will be there to support her if she ever does have a question or concern. She says the staff and her fellow volunteers have been phenomenal during this outbreak, and on the rare times during her 1-2 volunteer shifts a week when a team member or donor is having a bad day, her customer service background kicks in.

“We’re all feeling a little lost, isolated,” Kirkland says. “I keep in mind that people are coming out trying to help, so I’ll bend over backwards and try to meet them where they are.”

If you’re looking for a way to help, and get out of the house during this coronavirus outbreak, consider joining Sue Kirkland as a Blood Drive or Facilities Screener, asking health questions and taking temperatures with an infrared thermometer as people enter Red Cross facilities or blood drives. There are shifts available across the Western New York region, click this link for more information. And thanks to the efforts of volunteers like Sue, you can also safely make a donation appointment for the weeks ahead to ensure a stable blood supply throughout this pandemic at redcrossblood.org

Story by: Jay Bonafede, Chief Communications Officer

American Red Cross, Western New York Region