The Year In Review

A Year of Progress and Momentum

SEPTEMBER

The Red Cross participated in the second commemoration of the events of September 11, 2001.  Days later, volunteers and employees conducted a massive education and training campaign in lower Manhattan that reached more than 150,000 people with information on how to prepare for an emergency.  The New York Times inserted Red Cross preparedness literature into the paper for its readers.

OCTOBER

We continued to work closely with the New York City Fire Department. In a meeting with special Red Cross friends and supporters, Deputy Assistant Chief Howard Hill of New York City Fire Department talked about the important joint role of the Red Cross and the FDNY in responding to eight fires a day.  

NOVEMBER

Red Cross volunteers and employees reached tens of thousands of people through an extensive education campaign in midtown Manhattan. Red Cross preparedness experts appeared on Fox TV.

JANUARY

Terry Bishcoff joined the American Red Cross in Greater New York as Chief Executive Officer.

We responded to a huge six-alarm fire in Brooklyn and aided hundreds of people who were suddenly without homes. This was one of the most devastating and visible of the more than 3,000 emergencies we responded to during the year.

MARCH IS RED CROSS MONTH

Red Cross month was noted by numerous key events.  The Red Cross delivered presentations to the Manhattan and Bronx Chambers of Commerce as well as to the New York City Council.  In addition, we rang the bell at the closing of the New York Stock Exchange and saw the Empire State Building lit red and white in honor of the Red Cross.

Preparedness Survey

We released a survey of residents and the first, we believe, of businesses that found that while many have made some progress in preparedness since September 11, 2001, we still have a long way to go. The good news is that while a majority say they have not received training, most (64% of businesses and 83% of residents) are interested in getting trained. We have a new agreement with Columbia University’s Center for Disaster Preparedness to work together on future surveys to assess the needs of New Yorkers.  The results of our survey were covered in Crain’s New York Business, the New York Times, NY1-TV, and other major media. 

APRIL

We presented preparedness training to the New York State Legislature.  

MAY

The New York City Council awarded ARC/GNY our first major grant for response and preparedness programs.

JUNE

We announced two important new partnerships with the Food Bank for New York City and DisneyHand. The Food Bank of New York City provided tons of needed supplies to the Red Cross, such as water, energy bars and paper goods for use in the event of a major emergency.

These announcements were featured on WABC-TV and WCBS-TV as well as other outlets.

WNBC-TV’s Asa Aarons emceed our annual Volunteer Recognition Event to thank our more than 3,600 volunteers for their dedicated service.

We also announced the sale of our headquarters building and an internal committee began the search for a new building in which to house our headquarters.

JULY

In late July, we responded to a second-alarm fire in the Bronx and assisted 27 adults and 10 children. Shortly afterward, we received a call to go to another second-alarm fire on West 192nd street, where we helped nine people. At the same time, we received notice of a commercial second-alarm fire on West 181st street and sent our responders out to assist. On the way, we were notified of yet another fire - this time a third-alarm - at Jesup Avenue in the Bronx, where more than 100 people had been evacuated from the building. At this fire, we assisted 21 adults and six children. All of these responses took place during a period of approximately eight hours.

AUGUST 

We worked with the city on its plans to prepare for the Republican National Convention and we responded to the call of the American Red Cross’s national office to aid the victims of the devastating hurricanes in the Southeast.  Many American Red Cross in Greater New York employees and volunteers traveled south to assist those affected and we helped raise funds in various ways, including organizing a major event at Yankee Stadium.

The New York Times printed a letter to the editor on preparedness from CEO Terry Bischoff.

SEPTEMBER

We created a new interactive CD-ROM titled Together We Prepare New York to help families take the five basic preparedness steps: make a plan, build a kit, get trained, volunteer and give blood.  Together We Prepare New York is available on our Web site at www.nyredcross.org.

Together with the New York City Office of Emergency Management, our partner in preparedness, we launched a special series called Ready New York Nights, which brought preparedness training to all five boroughs. We also worked with other important partners including the City University of New York, the Fire and Police Departments and the NY Department of the Aging.  These events were featured in Newsday, the New York Daily News, WPIX-TV, NY1-TV, and other outlets

OCTOBER 

We continued to work closely with the New York City Fire Department.  New York City Chief of Fire Safety Patrick McNally talked about the important joint role of the Red Cross and the FDNY in responding to eight fires a day to a group of special Red Cross friends and supporters. 

An agreement was reached with WellChoice (formerly Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield) to be the first corporation to choose the American Red Cross in Greater New York for its employee giving campaign.