Tag Archives: Teresa Greenlief

National Volunteer Week spotlight: Proud volunteer says Red Cross chapter feels like home

Posted on by
Reply

By EILENE E. GUY, American Red Cross volunteer

“There’s a lot of pride in that vest.”

Teresa Greenlief considers herself a hard-core American Red Cross volunteer. Retired on disability after 15 years as a firefighter/EMT, she spends as much as 30 hours a week on activities with the Greater Akron and Mahoning Valley chapter. “I do everything I can,” she says proudly.

Teresa, who calls Cuyahoga Falls home, manages the chapter’s vehicle fleet and is trained to do mass care and feeding, disaster damage assessment, family reunification and local disaster response. She actively leads the chapter’s campaign to prevent home fires. “We’re focused on prevention, installing free smoke alarms and education.”

When she’s not at the chapter — “The chapter feels like home” — she’s eager to spread the word about the Red Cross. “I wear my ‘merch ’even when I’m not working,” she says warmly. People approach her when they see the iconic red cross on her jacket or T-shirt.

“My most asked question is, ‘where do I donate blood? ’The Red Cross is so much more than collecting blood, but that one’s a lifesaver.”

The Red Cross provides a framework for Teresa, and more than 300,000 volunteers across the country, to show their compassion for their fellow man. “It takes empathy and humility,” she says. “We all need it.”

During National Volunteer Week especially, we salute all the volunteers, like Teresa, who put on the red vest and give their time and talents to help prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters. They make up more than 90% of the Red Cross workforce that:

• teaches 4.5 million people a year first aid, CPR and AED,

• provides more than 480,000 services to the men and women in our armed services, at home and abroad,

• prepares to respond to an average 65,000 local disasters each year, most of them home fires,

• continues to install free smoke alarms (2.6 million alarms installed and counting!) and help families make home safety plans (saving more than 2,300 lives in 19,560 towns across the country),

• supports Red Cross operations in office settings and virtually,

• and more!

“There is such a need for the Red Cross,” Teresa says with emphasis. “You have to have empathy for people and be a team player, but the rewards will come back to you ten-fold.”

Just like the people it serves, the Red Cross welcomes people from a wide array of cultures, lifestyles, ages, backgrounds and beliefs. Come join us! Begin at redcross.org/volunteer.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, American Red Cross volunteer

NEO Volunteers join hundreds of others from across the country to help Hurricane Michael victims

Posted on by
Reply

Helping provide shelter, food and hope to those impacted by the storm

Five days after Hurricane Michael slammed into the southeast, thousands of people are living in dire conditions. The American Red Cross is with them, helping people in Florida, Georgia and Alabama as they struggle to get back on their feet.

  • Home after home is destroyed, many people have lost everything. Many areas are still inaccessible.
  • The storm also damaged medical facilities, schools and businesses. Search and rescue efforts continue.
  • Hundreds of thousands have no power as temperatures hover in the high 80s.
  • In many areas, people have no water or sewer service and many that do have service are under boil advisories.

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Red Cross is doing all we can to get help to where it’s most needed, and we’re reaching more neighborhoods each day. We’re working around the clock with partners like the National Guard to move volunteers and supplies, and to support dozens of shelters where people can find comfort and refuge.

  • With the magnitude of destruction and many roads impassable, we know that getting help into some areas will be challenging for some time.
  • The Red Cross is providing shelter, food, health services and emotional support during this challenging situation.
  • Some shelters are being relocated to more comfortable and appropriate locations.
  • In some areas, emergency response vehicles are able to get through with meals and relief supplies.

More than 1,300 Red Cross disaster workers have been assigned to the Hurricane Michael disaster relief operation, including 19 volunteers from Northeast Ohio. Visit our YouTube channel to see and hear comments from the volunteers pictured below.

Akron group

Volunteers Harry Pierdomenico, Tom Quinn, Teresa Greenlief and Cameron Fraser  Photo credit: Eric Alves/American Red Cross

  • This is a huge disaster, and the Red Cross is working closely with government and nonprofit partners to provide aid.
  • It will take time and require the resources from a large variety of organizations to help families and communities recover.
  • We are actively recruiting additional volunteers to help respond to disasters like Hurricane Michael, and to the home fires that occur, on average, three times every 24 hours in Northeast Ohio.  You can visit our volunteer page to begin the application process.

After two major hurricanes in less than a month, thousands of people are looking for help. The Red Cross depends on financial donations to fund our relief services. Help people affected by Hurricane Michael by visiting redcross.org, calling 1- 800-RED CROSS or texting the word MICHAEL to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

  • Donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster.

The Red Cross has a critical need for blood and platelet donations to help meet patient needs. This fall, Hurricane Michael and Hurricane Florence have forced the cancellation of about 200 blood drives, causing approximately 7,000 units of blood to go uncollected in the Southeast.

  • Low donor turnout is expected to continue in affected areas as communities recover.
  • The Red Cross asks eligible individuals to make an appointment today by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.