The Year In Review
 When blackness spread throughout the city on August 14, New
Yorkers faced the challenges of finding a way to get home, worrying
about finding food and water, and dealing with the emotional
distress of the situation.
As soon as the lights went out, the American Red Cross in Greater
New York responded by setting up cooling centers, distributing
blackout and heat tips and providing mental health counselors. By
the end of the weekend, we had assisted some 237,000 members of our
community and responded to 76 fires, many of which were caused by
candles. From our headquarters at 150 Amsterdam Avenue in
Manhattan and from our chapters and service centers in the Bronx,
Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Harlem and Putnam, Rockland,
Sullivan and Orange counties, we came to the aid of New Yorkers.
We Respond
The blackout was only one of the many disasters that we responded
to this past year. Last December, we mobilized materials and
volunteers to help New Yorkers when a massive transit strike was
threatened. During the brutal February blizzard, dozens of Red Cross
employees and volunteers kept New Yorkers informed and educated.
 When
the Iraqi war began in March, our Armed Forces Emergency Services
(AFES) program kicked into high gear. As the primary communications
link between members of the military and their families, we
transmitted thousands of urgent messages such as the news of a birth
of a child, a serious illness or death of a loved one. These
messages are transmitted anywhere in the world, from isolated bases
in Iraq to ships at sea.
When Hurricane Isabel looked like it might strike New York in
September, we had supplies and trained volunteers ready to help.
Earlier that month, we provided support at the city’s event
commemorating the anniversary of September 11, 2001, and Mayor
Bloomberg specifically cited the fine work of the American Red
Cross.
During all of these responses, we fulfilled our mission and
responded to more than 3,000 local emergencies within minutes - an
incredible average of eight emergencies every day. We are there when
our neighbors need us, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
We Prepare
Each disaster we respond to serves as a powerful reminder of the
need to prepare for unexpected emergencies. In our
Preparing for the Unexpected class we have taught more than 28,000
New Yorkers how to create a communication
plan and build a disaster kit. We hold the class every Thursday at
our headquarters and instructors also deliver special presentations
to corporations, community organizations, senior citizens homes and
other groups.
During Red Cross Month in March, JetBlue Airways, the official
sponsor of Red Cross Month, provided
Basic Aid Training
activity
books to children traveling on their flights. And in celebration of
Red Cross Month, Red Cross flags were flown throughout the city, the
Empire State Building was aglow in red and white, and we opened the
NASDAQ market on March 20.
The Red Cross in Lower Manhattan: Together We Prepare, a special
event held in September, mobilized hundreds of Red Cross volunteers
and employees who distributed tens of thousands of brochures and
fliers to help the community be better prepared to handle any type
of emergency. We reached more than 148,000 people.
Preparing people with the skills to save a life is another way we
help the community. This year, more than 96,000 people learned
important techniques in CPR, First Aid, Automated External
Defibrillator (AED) and lifeguard training. They learned how to help
a friend who might go into shock, a colleague who might have a heart
attack, or a child in a backyard pool who might be in
danger of drowning.
In addition, we taught thousands of children water safety
techniques through our
Whales Tales
program, First Aid steps through
Basic Aid Training, and how to escape a fire in
Fire and Burn Safety
. As our partners in the community, our chapters and service
centers offered health and safety classes and Preparing for the
Unexpected classes to thousands of people throughout the area from Queens to
Putnam County.
We Rebuild
 We help keep lives together during times of crisis. At disaster
scenes, we help house families and provide needed shelter, food,
clothing, mental health counseling and other services in the days
following their loss.
This year, we helped hundreds of New York's homeless women and
their children move closer to self-sufficiency by providing them
with transitional housing and an extensive program of support
services in our Family Respite Center and Emergency Family Center
facilities. After families relocate to permanent housing, the Red
Cross provides ongoing case management, training programs and
support through the Relocation Support Program. The American Red
Cross in Greater New York has been empowering women and children in
transitional living situations since the opening of our first two
temporary housing facilities in 1985. The success of our programs
prompted nearly 40 other nonprofit organizations in New York City to
adopt our shelter model.
For New Yorkers with HIV/AIDS, our Transportation Services
program offered safe and comfortable rides to medical appointments,
support groups and other activities so that they could remain as
independent as possible. All rides are provided in comfortable vans
with friendly and professional drivers. The program helped thousands
of people by providing 17, 833 rides this year.
Our active 1,500-member Youth Group organized yet another
successful Book and Toy drive that raised funds for the gifts at a
wonderful holiday party enjoyed by homeless women and children in
Red Cross programs.
We prepare, respond and rebuild effectively with the assistance
of our 6,000 dedicated volunteers who make up 93% of our workforce.
Every day of the year, our trained volunteers help us at the scene
of a fire, assist in community education and provide crucial back-up
support in many departments.
Our chapters and service centers play a pivotal role in helping
us provide our important services throughout Greater New York.
We hope you get to know your Red Cross by reading our 2003 online
Annual Report.
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