Queens Congressman Joseph Crowley and other elected officials officially thanked the American Red Cross in Greater New York for responding to the needs of Queens residents during the July power outage. Representing ARC/GNY were CEO Terry Bischoff, Chief Response Officer Scott Graham, Board of Trustees Member Carlos Portes, Queens Director Joan Foley and several Queens volunteers – Diane Smith from St. Albans and Dina Guertler from Forest Hills. (Photo: Mike Virgintino)

Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-Queens and The Bronx), along with state and city elected officials, commended the American Red Cross in Greater New York (ARC/GNY) for aiding Queens residents during the July power outages during a press conference held in the Woodside section of the borough on Monday, September 25. Over 100,000 residents in northwest Queens were without power for more than one week.

"During the July power outages, American Red Cross in Greater New York served as the front line in providing meals, water and medical attention to thousands of northwestern Queens residents,” said Representative Crowley. "Coming to the aid of so many people who had nowhere else to turn to for help, Red Cross provided vital assistance at such a critical time. Today, we express our thanks to Red Cross for doing an outstanding job and making sure conditions during outages did not deteriorate into bigger catastrophe for the people of Queens."

Joining the ARC/GNY at the event held in front of one of the Woodside apartment buildings affected by the blackout were New York State Senator John Sabini; New York State Assembly Members Ivan Lafayette and Michael Gianaris; Councilman Eric Gioia; Diane Ballek, representing Assembly Member Catherine Nolan; and officials from the New York Police Department and The Salvation Army.

"The American Red Cross in Greater New York appreciates Congressman Crowley's strong support for our ongoing efforts to respond to nearly 3,000 emergencies throughout the city, and his partnership with us during the recent Queens blackout," said Scott Graham, Chief Response Officer, ARC/GNY. "Congressman Crowley, and other elected officials, helped us identify unmet needs during the power outages so we could quickly provide the water, food and other essential services to the residents of affected neighborhoods in Queens.  His close partnership with us will be critical as we prepare for future emergencies in the borough and throughout the city."

Throughout the extended period of the power outages, Congressman Crowley worked with American Red Cross to ensure that residents in Woodside and northwestern Queens were provided with food, ice, water medical care and other basic essentials.