Jennifer's deployment story

Jennifer Schaefer

Jennifer Schaefer of Syracuse recently returned after spending a week in Oklahoma, volunteering with Health Services as part of the Red Cross response to recent severe weather. We asked the registered nurse, who volunteers regularly with the Greater Rochester Chapter, to share her experience. Even though she says, "I always hate when people ask what I do on a deployment. I usually forget exactly what I do, to be honest. It is just a blur of days, people, late nights and early mornings," she provided this first-hand account of just one day on a deployment.

Deployment Day Two - Oklahoma City Disaster Response Operation:

Oklahoma Tornado damage. Photo credit: Jennifer Schaefer

It is always hard to describe what I do when people ask. I hold people's hands while they cry about losing their homes, family heirlooms, pets and loved ones. I make sure that the elderly woman who has not eaten in two days because she is living in a home with no electricity or working gas gets a hot meal, a promise of more hot meals and the option of a safer place to stay. 

I talk to other volunteers. I genuinely want to get to know my fellow Red Cross friends, but being a nurse puts a twist on social interaction. Being a nurse on a deployment means every interaction is evaluated, every person's needs are checked. I ended up pulling a volunteer off the job today because he was trying to work his shift after having an eye exam that left his vision blurry. These volunteers never think about themselves, so it is my job to always ask and evaluate.
As a nurse, there is no "downtime." I am checking on my roommate as she shares about her day. I ask my waitress at breakfast how the storms have affected her life and community. I even self-check. I    make time to go to the gym or talk to my family. I give hugs, rides to fellow volunteers and advice. I say, "Thank You. Thank You. Thank You." 

Oklahoma Tornado damage. Photo credit: Jennifer Schaefer

It is hard to worry yourself, about your own problems, when you see the destroyed homes and children's toys broken and upturned. It is difficult to hold back the tears sometimes, but most of all it is difficult to not be grateful. I can see how lucky I truly am and that is what keeps me coming back.

I not only help others rebuild their lives but I rebuilt my own. I started volunteering after I lost two loved ones, a job and a relationship in a short period of time. I was lost and more depressed then I had ever been in my life. That was over a year and a half ago. Today, I have my dream job working with the New York State Department of Health. I get to help children be safer and healthier every day, and you know why I got the job?  The people I interviewed with valued my volunteer service. The American Red Cross turned my life around and helped me find my true calling in my darkest moments. So what else can I say but thank you...


No, Jennifer. Thank YOU for all you do for the Red Cross and the community. Welcome home!

If Jennifer's story has inspired you, click here to learn more about how you can become a Red Cross volunteer!

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.

"Get out of the house! The house is on fire!"

It was 1:30pm on December 2, 2013. Michael Cuerton was alone in the kitchen of his Buffalo home when the smoke alarm

went off.

“I smelled smoke, but I didn't know where it was coming from,” Michael said. “I went to different rooms but I didn't see any smoke.” The next thing he knew, there was more smoke and it was coming from a back room.

“A neighbor was yelling, ‘Get out of the house! The house is on fire!’, and I knew I had to get out fast.”-Michael Cureton

Meanwhile, someone had called the police and the fire department. “The house was still standing, but it was a total loss,” said Michael. He was approached by some neighbors who told him that the Red Cross would be able to help him out.

Red Cross volunteers responded to 1,160 home fires
and other disasters in the Western and Central
New York Region last year

“Two Red Cross volunteers came up to me. They were friendly, very nice, very informative and they told me everything I needed to do,” he explained. The volunteers put Michael up in a hotel and gave him funding for some food and clothing to help him get back on his feet. He then met with our caseworkers, who helped him navigate through the recovery process. Thankfully, Michael had insurance, because he stayed in that hotel until moving into his new home on July 31 of the following year.

“Until you have an incident, you kind of take things for granted. I always hear that the Red Cross is about blood drives, but I never knew you get yourselves involved with people who lost their homes in fires like I did and put things in motion to help out like what you did for me.”-Michael Cureton

Last month, Michael made a surprise visit to our Buffalo office.

“My mother always said, show your appreciation,” Michael said.  “You guys helped me out, so I figured hey, you guys could always use a donation. So I came in to make a donation. That’s the way I was raised!”

On an average day in America, seven people die and 36 suffer injuries in home fires, and $7 billion worth of property is damaged every year. The American Red Cross and its partners have launched an initiative that aims to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by home fires by 25% in five years.

Fire experts agree that people may have as little as 2 minutes to escape a burning home when a fire breaks out but many Americans have a false sense of security about surviving a fire. The Red Cross is asking every household in America to join us in taking two simple steps that can save lives: checking or installing smoke alarms, and practicing fire drills at home.

“Smoke detectors are a must,” Michael says after his experience.

As part of the Home Fire Campaign, the Red Cross can install free smoke alarms in homes that need them. Contact your local Red Cross Chapter (in Buffalo, 716-878-2356 or pearliemae.hargro@redcross.org) to schedule an installation.

Red Cross Helping Five after Three SWNY Fires Friday

Volunteers from the American Red Cross, Western New York Chapter responded to three separate fires Friday, April 3, providing for the immediate emergency needs of five people. Red Cross assistance typically includes funding for temporary housing, food and clothing as needed. Disaster Mental Health volunteers are available to help the families deal with the emotional aspect of their disaster, and those affected will meet with caseworkers in the coming days to work on a longer-term recovery plan.

Volunteers responded to fires at the following locations Friday:

·         Fredonia: One adult
Volunteers Jason Carmen and Jeanie Shiffer

·         Hanover Road, Forestville: Two adults
Volunteers Jason Carmen and Mary Walker

·         Cattaraugus County: Two adults
Volunteers Bob Shook and Leah Vooys

The American Red Cross has launched an initiative to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by home fires by 25 percent over the next five years. The Red Cross is asking every household in America to take two simple steps: check their existing smoke alarms and practice fire drills at home. As part of the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign, the Red Cross is joining with fire departments and community groups nationwide to install free smoke detectors in homes that need them. To schedule an installation, please contact PearlieMae Hargro at pearliemae.hargro@redcross.org or 716-878-2356.

To support home fire survivors across the country, the American Red Cross has launched a new social media campaign called #GiveWhatFireTakes. Donors nationwide have the opportunity to support Red Cross relief efforts. For every amount raised, the Red Cross is able to provide not only recovery items for home fire survivors, but also critical fire safety training and smoke alarm installations to help prevent deaths and injuries. Visit our Crowdwise campaign page, make a direct donation on redcross.org and share what moved you to join the campaign on social media with #GiveWhatFireTakes.