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March is Red Cross Month - Join Us To Help New Yorkers
By Theresa A. Bischoff, CEO, American Red Cross in Greater New York
It seems that every morning, as we prepare to tackle our day, we learn from radio and television about an overnight fire or an emergency that is snarling rush hour traffic. While not every emergency makes the news, they do occur often and at anytime and anywhere.
The American Red Cross in Greater New York responds to an average of eight to 10 fires, building collapses and other emergencies in the Hudson Valley and New York City every day.
When it's cold, we wrap blankets around people, forced from their homes, and get them into a nearby school or house of worship where provide meals and can begin to help them restore order to their lives. After a storm or a fire, we provide residents with clean-up kits to help them wipe away the dirt and mold that have soiled their homes. We also provide temporary housing when it is needed.
We honor our mission and thank our many volunteers every day. However, during March, we observe Red Cross Month and, in concert with our community, corporate and government partners, actively promote and celebrate our programs within the communities we serve.
To accomplish all that we do, including training New Yorkers in first aid/CPR and teaching others how to swim and serve as lifeguards, we rely on committed and compassionate trained volunteers who are the heart and soul of the Red Cross.
You can become one of the 10,000 volunteers on whom we rely by enrolling in our comprehensive one-day training program. Our Red Cross Reserve Institute prepares volunteers to "Be Red Cross Ready" to assist us during local disasters.
So, consider helping yourselves, your families and neighbors. Enroll in our classes, support us with a financial contribution to help us provide preparedness programs and humanitarian care to New Yorkers, and consider donating your time to become trained as an instructor or an emergency responder.
To learn what you can do, call 1-877-REDCROSS (1-877- 733-2767), call our area offices in Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan and at West Point, or visit us at www.nyredcross.org .
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