Hurricane Maria One Year Later: Worker Looks Back and Recalls People’s Resilience

Posted on September 20, 2018 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Editors Note: Jorge Martinez, Regional COO of the American Red Cross of Northeast Ohio, deployed to Puerto Rico in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

By Jorge Martinez, COO, Red Cross, Northeast Ohio Region

Jorge Martinez carries a case of water to residents stranded by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico

So how is Puerto Rico doing one year after the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria? The short answer is, “Well, I really don’t know. But I think do!”

When I came back last October, having spent a few weeks on the ground in Puerto Rico, I shared a story about a wonderful lady who had welcomed her neighbor into her humble home and simply wanted some tarps to protect her elderly neighbor’s belongings, since the house had no roof. In that story I also mentioned my friend Brad and the many other Red Cross volunteers like him who were serving with so much compassion and love… always putting the needs of others before self. (Click here for a link to that story.) This helps answer the question, “How is Puerto Rico doing?” The story that follows also helps answer that question.

On October 8^th last year, I was in a hot, destroyed place called Ensenada, Puerto Rico. Ensenada is on the southern coast of the southwest corner of the island… and like every other place on the island, it had been devastated. There were a lot of people with a lot of need in the area who hadn’t been helped yet, so we brought two crews and two large trucks full of supplies. We set up shop in a large government convention center and delivered supplies to hundreds of families. And of course, the temperature felt like a thousand degrees!

I was carrying some supplies for a sweet old lady to her car so that she could sustain herself, for a few days anyway. She reminded me a lot of my own grandmother, who had passed away many years before. We were chatting on the walk to her car; it’s amazing how you can connect with people when you strip away all the artificial barriers we create. It’s beautiful! As we were approaching her car she said, “You know, mijo (ME-HO – Spanish for “my son”), God tests us. But any time he does, he sends an angel and today you’re my angel.”

Fortunately, I was wearing sunglasses.

When I landed in Puerto Rico on September 28, 2017 we were on one of the first flights following the hurricane. At that point, planes could only land during the day because there were no navigational instruments since there was no power. As you could imagine, the dark, steamy airport was full of people who were trying to get out. As we came through the jetway, the crowd started clapping and thanking us. It was a humbling moment but it speaks to the power of our brand… what we stand for… what we represent. And at that particular point it was hope! And that matters. In times of need, hope matters.

I read the news and see the advances that are happening in Puerto Rico. I also note the setbacks. The truth is, at least how I see it, Puerto Rico will not be back to “normal” for many years. But that’s OK. Puerto Ricans are resilient, warm, caring and extremely communal. And so is the Red Cross. I haven’t been back, but I know that our long-term recovery teams, comprised primarily of volunteers, are on the ground humbly carrying out the king’s work and will be there for quite some time. That’s hopeful; that’s comforting.

So, how’s Puerto Rico doing? Well, probably not so good. But they’re doing great!

Family Feels Safer After Fleeing Puerto Rico

Posted on May 11, 2018 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Smoke Alarms Give Mom and Dad Piece of Mind

By Jim McIntyre, American Red Cross

Neysha Santiago is back at work. Her broken ankle has healed, after she slipped on Northeast Ohio ice this winter.

“We don’t have ice in Puerto Rico!”

Neysha arrived in Cleveland with her husband Brian and their six-year old son last fall, after Hurricane Maria devastated the island. “We lost everything,” she said, while Red Cross workers installed smoke alarms in her new home in Cleveland.

A cousin, Randy Rivera, told the family to call the Red Cross for smoke alarms.

Cousin Randy also brought the newly-settled family to his church, Smyrna Christian and Missionary Alliance, where they met Gabe Bruno, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Lincoln Electric.

He found Neysha and Brian jobs.

“I thought it would be a great opportunity to meet a couple of needs,” Bruno said. “They needed employment and we needed workers in our electronics factory.”

Coincidentally, the Chairman and CEO of Lincoln Electric, Chris Mapes, is the current Chairman of the Red Cross Greater Cleveland Chapter Board of Directors.

Neysha Santiago, Katherine Ramos and her son Gadielys

Neysha was nursing her broken ankle, sitting at the kitchen table with her sister-in-law Katherine and her baby, dinner simmering on the stove, when Red Cross workers installed a smoke alarm on each level of her home in March. They also showed her how to develop an escape plan for her family.

She said the alarms make her feel safer.

Kelly Fraser of AmeriCorps helps Neysha Santiago create an escape plan for her home

Red Cross workers and volunteers from various fire departments, community groups, and corporate partners have been installing smoke alarms in homes across the country since April 28, when the Sound the Alarm campaign began. Since then, more than 1,300 alarms have been installed in more than 450 homes in Cleveland, Akron and Maple Heights.

The three-week campaign ends locally on Saturday, when volunteers will install smoke alarms and offer fire safety information to residents in Cleveland’s Slavic Village neighborhood. But residents can still request smoke alarms, and have them installed by the Red Cross and its partners all year long by visiting redcross.org/neo.

The Wake of Maria, Six Months Later

Posted on March 20, 2018 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Though it has lost its luster as a headline to news outlets across the continental U.S., the damage done during Hurricane Maria, six months ago today, continues to affect those who have begun to pick up the pieces of their lives on Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Clearly, once the churning eye of the storm looked off toward the ocean, the devastating power of mother nature continued to wreak havoc on the islands. Touching not only those affected by the winds and rain of the hurricane herself, but also those who try to continue to build their life day-by-day. Big name stores have shuttered, tourism remains low, and by all accounts, tens of thousands remain without power.

Jorge Cropped

But the Red Cross remains a vital part of the effort to help — and provide hope for — those affected in the cyclical devastation of this disaster.

Along with our partners, the Red Cross has served more than 12.8 million meals and snacks and distributed over 5.9 million relief items across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

September 30, 2017. Barceloneta, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Red Cross volunteers distribute water, food and other basic necessities to families affected by Hurricane Maria. Photo by Sergio Rojas for The American Red Cross 30 de Septiembre de 2017. Barceloneta, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico. La Cruz Roja entrega agua, comida y otros articulos de primera necesidad a las familias de Barceloneta afectadas por el Huracán María.

Photos by Sergio Rojas for The American Red Cross

Red Cross volunteers have provided more than 50,000 mental health and health services to support and care for those affected.

The international community continues to play an important role in the recovery efforts. More than 30 Red Cross disaster responders from around the globe deployed to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to help deliver aid. These responders came from Red Cross societies in Colombia, Costa Rica, Finland, Mexico, Spain, and from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

To support all of the urgent humanitarian needs of the Red Cross, click here to start a monthly donation. Thank you!

Greater Cleveland Heroes Honored

Posted on March 13, 2018 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

It’s fitting, but not intentional, that National Good Samaritan Day fell the day before we honored Greater Cleveland Heroes.

The day is also known as Good Samaritan Involvement Day. It is a day for unselfish actions to help those in need and to celebrate kindness.

The term “Good Samaritan” comes from the Bible parable where a Samaritan helped a stranger who had been robbed and beaten and left to die by the side of the road. The Samaritan not only cleaned the man’s wounds and clothed him, but took him to an inn where he paid for the man’s care.

The term is used today to describe those who perform acts of kindness for those in need, especially those who are strangers. Like the seven individuals we honored on March 15.

About 500 people attended the 2018 Greater Cleveland Heroes Award ceremony at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, where the Cleveland Indians received the Community Leader Award. See our photo album of the event here.

In a nutshell…

Patrolman Christopher Olup and Sergeant Robert Prochazka

Patrolman Christopher Olup and Sergeant Robert Prochazka of the Willowick Police Department risked their own lives to enter a burning house and pull a disabled man to safety.

Nurse Janine Smalley of the Cleveland VA Medical Center volunteered to treat thousands of veterans in Puerto Rico following the devastation of Hurricane Maria.

Gilbert DiSanto of Miceli Dairy used an AED and performed CPR to save the life of a man who had collapsed near the company’s headquarters in Cleveland.

Janine Smalley

Gilbert DiSanto

Jared Lee

Dana Walling

Dana Walling was a customer at Classic BMW in Willoughby Hills when he helped two wounded police officers subdue a gunman.

Jared Lee of the MetroHealth System improvised by using the drawstring from his scrubs as a tourniquet on a severely injured victim of a car crash.

John and Jan Durkalski

Jan Durkalski performed CPR and ran for help after her husband collapsed during a run in the Cleveland Metroparks, saving his life.

These seven individuals are the very definition of “Good Samaritans,” and we are proud to honor them for their selfless acts.

See our heroes tell their stories in their own words here.

We honored 12 Heroes earlier this month in Akron, at the 2018 Acts of Courage awards in the Summit, Portage and Medina Counties Chapter. And coming in June, the Acts of Courage awards in Youngstown will honor heroes from our Lake to River Chapter.

The Power of Volunteers

Posted on October 19, 2017 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Stay close to them and to the mission!

By Jorge Martinez, Regional Chief Operating Officer

Editor’s note: As of October 19, 2017, the Red Cross, along with community and government partners, has provided 1.3 million overnight stays in emergency shelters, served more than 6.7 million meals and snacks, and distributed more than 3.6 million emergency relief items to people in need, following hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. More than 16,000 trained Red Cross disaster workers, 91% of them volunteers, have been mobilized to support hurricane relief efforts. Among those workers is Jorge Martinez, who wrote the following upon returning from a three-week assignment in Puerto Rico.

The Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. We’ve all heard this before and certainly embrace it. We wouldn’t be part of this great organization otherwise. But to see our mission statement in action is special. I was fortunate enough to be part of the relief operation in Puerto Rico; I saw human suffering alleviated through the compassionate and selfless service of our dedicated and humble volunteers.

Puerto Rico is home to nearly 3.5 million American citizens spread over an island that is roughly 35 miles by 100 miles of challenging, mountainous terrain. Ravaged by a category 4 hurricane — just 2 MPH shy of a cat 5 — the devastation was immense. There was no part of the island that was not affected. What you’ve been seeing on the news is accurate and maybe even understated. But the island residents have come together with a sense of community that I’ve only experienced one other time – in the aftermath of 9/11.

So there we were in San Juan. We had two carloads of volunteers that were trailing a supply box truck with a local driver. We were en route to a remote location in the central mountains of the island with no specific knowledge of how to get there. On our way out of the city, a police officer who had just finished his 12 hour shift came alongside us and agreed to escort us to the site in what turned out to be a 2 hour trek. Even he got lost, but he got us there.

Once on site, we met with local officials and determined the best place to help those most in need. We got to our agreed upon distribution site and while we off-loaded the supplies and set up the operation, the local officials went around the neighborhood spreading the word. Soon we had a line of hundreds of families that were in need of basic supplies like water, food and tarps.

I met countless wonderful volunteers during my trip and became close with a few of them. One of them was Brad; he was from Kalamazoo, MI and we were on this trip together. Near the end of this operation, both he and I were going house to house, delivering supplies to those who could not make it to the pick-up site. We came across a wonderful lady who had already picked up her supplies. However, her next door neighbor’s house had been destroyed. It was a humble place before the storm; now, only a small room had any semblance of a roof still attached. She had taken her elderly neighbor into her own small home but wanted to get some tarps to cover the few remaining savable items that her neighbor had stored in that small room.

We came back with several tarps for her and gave her a hug. By the way, at this point a downpour had started. Mid-hug, she broke down and started to cry. Coincidentally, Brad and I both had something in our eyes that caused us to tear up as well. She thanked us profusely while hoping that God bless all of us. The truth is we were blessed by just being in her presence. And I was doubly blessed by being in the presence of Brad and the many other volunteers like him. And no, this was not an isolated incident.

When I first took this job, my predecessor told me to stay close to the mission. She was mostly right. Stay close to the mission and to the volunteers! I want to personally thank the volunteers I had the pleasure to work with in Puerto Rico and the nearly 1,500 volunteers of Northeast Ohio who go quietly about their work without much fanfare. You make a world of difference — THANK YOU!

See more photos from Jorge’s work in Puerto Rico by clicking here for our Flickr album.

Visit our YouTube page for a video of Jorge’s experience.

NEO Volunteers Head to Puerto Rico

Posted on September 25, 2017 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Seven NEO Workers to Provide Sheltering, Health Care and IT Support

Among the nearly 5,300 Red Cross workers now responding to hurricane relief efforts across the south are seven Northeast Ohio workers assigned to help people in Puerto Rico. The island was devastated by Hurricane Maria.

“Here comes the cavalry,” said Jorge Martinez, Regional Chief Operating Officer for the Northeast Ohio Red Cross when asked what message he had for the people of Puerto Rico. “The Red Cross already had workers on the ground, who were responding to the damage done by Hurricane Irma when Maria struck. We’re on our way to help as well.”

At a news conference in the lobby of Regional Headquarters in Cleveland, Jorge was flanked by volunteers D. J. Hamrick, Sean Reyes, Rusty Breitbach and Bruce Butler, who have also been assigned to the Puerto Rico relief operation. Two other Northeast Ohio volunteers, a health care worker and an IT specialist, are already on the island.

More volunteers are needed, especially those who speak Spanish, who are in good physical shape, and who can commit to serving for 2-3 weeks. Volunteer training sessions are being held each week throughout Northeast Ohio. Visit redcross.org/neo, or call 216-431-3328 for more information.

Finding Family Following Hurricane Maria

Posted on September 21, 2017 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Many Northeast Ohio residents are concerned about loved ones in Puerto Rico.

Hurricane Harvey 2017

The American Red Cross Safe and Well website is a free public reunification tool
that allows individuals and organizations to register and post messages to
indicate that they are safe, or to search for loved ones. The site is always
available and open to the public and available in Spanish. Registrations and
searches can be done directly on the website. Registrations can also be
completed by texting SAFE to 78876. Messages exist in both Spanish and
English.

To speak with someone at the American Red Cross concerning a
missing friend or relative who has a serious, pre-existing health or mental health
condition, please call 1-800 RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Recent disasters, like Hurricane Maria and the earthquake in Mexico, have left
many across the world looking for their loved ones, and the Red Cross is here to
help.

If you are looking for a U.S. citizen affected by recent international disasters,
please contact the U.S. Department of State Office of Overseas Citizens
Services at 1-888-407-4747 or go online at
https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/emergencies.html

If you live in the United States and are looking for non-U.S. citizen family
members affected by Hurricane Maria in the French and Dutch territories, and
British Virgin Islands, please visit www.familylinks.icrc.org to find more
information.

If you are seeking information about non-U.S. citizen family members in Mexico
who have been missing since the recent earthquake, please visit
www.redcross.org/FamilyLinks, or call the American Red Cross Restoring Family
Links Helpline at 844-782-9441.

During and after large, devastating disasters such as Hurricane Maria,
connectivity can be a challenge. If you’ve put a request in with American Red
Cross or the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies,
please continue to virtually reach out to your friends and family.

Keep trying to reach out by calling during off-peak hours, and continue to send
text messages and emails. Continually check social media for updates.

Contact other family members or neighbors who live nearby who may be able to
provide you with information

Maria Strikes as Our Response to Harvey and Irma Continues

Posted on September 20, 2017 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

HURRICANE FAST FACTS
September 20, 2017

The American Red Cross has a launched a wide-ranging relief effort to provide safe shelter, food and comfort to people affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, even as Hurricane Maria strikes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Red Cross is part of a large team of agencies and organizations responding to provide help to those in need.

Hurricane Maria

Overnight, more than 10,000 people were provided refuge in almost 200 government and Red Cross shelters in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- On the U.S. Virgin Islands, 145 people took refuge in 6 evacuation shelters.
- In Puerto Rico, 10,100 people hunkered down in 173 government evacuation shelters.
- More than 160 Red Cross disaster workers were positioned in Puerto Rico and the USVI, riding out the storm. Hundreds more are positioned to deploy where they are needed, with supplies, once the storm passes.

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma

In the last three weeks, the Red Cross and community partners have provided more than 955,000 overnight stays in emergency shelters due to hurricanes.

Overnight, almost 3,800 people stayed in 21 Red Cross and partner shelters across Texas. To date, there have been more than 400,000 overnight shelter stays provided for Hurricane Harvey.

The Red Cross has served more than 3.35 million meals and snacks to people in need.
More than 5,800 Red Cross disaster workers and more than 330 emergency response vehicles – nearly our entire vehicle fleet – are on the ground right now, helping thousands of people affected by these storms.

More than 76 million hurricane and flood alerts have been issued through Red Cross mobile apps for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
65 workers from Northeast Ohio have been deployed to the hurricane relief efforts, and more are expected to respond to Hurricane Maria.

Mexican earthquake

Yesterday’s 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Mexico killed hundreds of people.
More than 90 ambulances and an urban rescue unit of the Mexican Red Cross are helping search for survivors, transporting the injured to hospitals and providing first aid on the scene.
The Mexican Red Cross has deployed dozens of doctors and nurses to help with the response.
In all, more than 500 volunteers and staff were activated in the hours immediately following the disaster.
17 urban rescue units, ambulances and logistic units will arrive today with more almost 70 more volunteers and staff.

NOHredcross

American Red Cross of Northern Ohio Region

Tag Archives: Puerto Rico