In 1949, the Red Cross spent over 12 million dollars for relief and rehabilitation on 303 different disaster operations in the United States.
Red Cross assistance in response to a disaster is directed toward the things most vitally needed by the sufferers: food, clothing, shelter, and medical attention. Trained volunteer staff are supplemented by paid chapter staff and provide the foundation for many relief services.
When disaster strikes, we're here for our community
Disaster Relief and Recovery
Each year, the American Red Cross immediately responds to more than 67,000 disasters, including house or apartment fires, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hazardous materials spills, transportation accidents, explosions, and other natural and man-made disasters. Over the past year, the Greenwich Chapter alone responded to12 local disasters andsix national disasters, provided relief for rescue workers, assisted local individuals and families in social service cases and provided 29 clients with our 24-hour, 365-day on-call Armed Forces Emergency Services program, which includes the transmission of emergency messages between members of the military and their families.
Although the American Red Cross is not a government agency, its authority to provide disaster relief was formalized when, in 1905, the Red Cross was chartered by Congress to "carry on a system of national and international relief in time of peace and apply the same in mitigating the sufferings caused by pestilence, famine, fire, floods, and other great national calamities, and to devise and carry on measures for preventing the same." The Charter is not only a grant of power, but also an imposition of duties and obligations to the nation, to disaster victims and to the people who generously support its work with their donations.
Red Cross disaster relief focuses on meeting people's immediate emergency disaster-caused needs. When a disaster threatens or strikes, the Red Cross provides shelter, food, general health services, and mental health services to address basic human needs. In addition to these services, the core of Red Cross disaster relief is the assistance given to individuals and families affected by disaster to enable them to resume their normal daily activities independently.
The Greenwich Chapter also feeds emergency workers, handles inquiries from concerned family members outside a disaster area, and helps those affected by disaster to access other available resources. Last year, the Greenwich Chapter provided more than33 emergency services training courses that strengthened the experience and knowledge of our volunteers to truly be there for the community in emergency situations.
The Language Bank
The
Greenwich Chapter has skilled volunteers fluent in a variety
of languages who provide unbiased, confidential oral interpretation
and written translation assistance in emergency and non-emergency
scenarios. Our services are available for people in certain
emergency situations or for whom access to other interpretation
services is limited or cost-prohibitive.
A Red Cross
volunteer provides unbiased linguistic service between the requestor
and the non-English speaking client, maintaining confidentiality
in each setting. Each interpreter is required to sign an interpreter
Code of Ethics as well as the American Red Cross Standard of
Conduct.Currently,
volunteers registered with the Language Bank represent 39 different
languages and dialects.
Typical services
provided are:
Assistance
with parent-teacher conferences
Interpretation
at PTA and school functions
Translation
of simple written documents
Interpretation
at housing meetings
Referrals
to other local service providers
Interpretation
in person and by telephone
Phone calls
requesting service are screened by paid and volunteer program
staff to determine if the Language Bank service is appropriate.
For general
information on the Language Bank, please call Caterina Sullivan,
Team Leader, at 203.869.8444. If you need Language Bank
assistance, please call the same number and speak with someone
in Disaster and Emergency Services.
Disaster Preparedness
The Community Disaster Education (CDE) curriculum is geared towards getting the Greenwich community aware of the natural and human-caused hazards that threaten our area, as well as educating our community members on what they can and should do to better protect themselves and their property. With those in mind, our CDE classes motivate individuals, families, and businesses to take those steps. The Greenwich Chapter distributes a variety of materials throughout the year at local fairs, events and special occasions. Our volunteers and employees hold free CDE classes at the chapter, in businesses, through the Greenwich High School Continuing Ed program, and other community organizations in our area. Classes run for approximately two hours, including time for questions; light refreshments are usually served. Information and materials about preparing for potential disasters that can affect this area are disseminated during the class, and chapter Emergency Services leaders are on hand to answer questions.
For more information on our CDE class schedule or any of the materials distributed in class, please feel free to stop by the chapter and an Emergency Services member will be happy to assist you. For further information about disaster preparedness, please call the Greenwich Chapter at 203.869.8444 and ask to speak with Peggy Jimenez, Director of Disaster and Emergency Services, or Tim Wall, Assistant Director of Disaster and Emergency Services.
Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services (AFES) provide emergency communications 24 hours a day, 365 days a year between local families and their loved ones serving in the US Armed Forces. AFES volunteers help send emergency messages regarding the death or serious illness of a family member, the birth of a child, or other family emergencies. Time commitment is at least one night per month, and all casework is done over the phone. While "on call," volunteers must be available by phone or by pager.
First Aid Stand-Bys (FASB)
FASB teams work at local events year-round by providing basic and temporary care while awaiting the arrival of EMS, if necessary. Events include local fairs, run/walks, and special occasions such as the Salute to Veterans over the July 4th holiday. Official Red Cross vehicles are used, and each team member is trained and base-certified in Adult CPR/AED, Infant/Child CPR, and First Aid.
If you are interested in booking a FASB team for your event, please call Maureen Hopper, FASB Team Leader at 203.869.8444 x189 or via email If you are interested in becoming a part of the FASB team, please go to the volunteer section of our site for more information.
