A series of winter storms have drained resources, and the local chapter of the American Red Cross is reaching out for help.
Melissa DeGennaro, director of public relations and marketing for the American Red Cross Jersey Coast Chapter, said in an interview that the relief agency is seeking financial support to help with operating expenses as well as blood donors to help replenish the critical blood supply.
“We hold fundraisers and special events throughout the year to help us raise funds,” she explained. “We seek out our donors throughout the year and we have [large] corporations and our coastal community business partners that are very generous donors.
“Basically we try to get our message out what our needs are,” she added. “We provide these services for free because of the donations of the American people.”
DeGennaro said that the chapter does not receive any government funding and relies solely on donations.
The Jersey Coast Chapter, headquartered in Tinton Falls, is a regional chapter that provides services in Monmouth and Ocean counties. The chapter also assists with community chapters in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties.
According to DeGennaro, the winter storms hampered blood drives and have resulted in a low supply of blood.
“Many blood drives were canceled all across the county,” she said.
“We urge people who are eligible to schedule an appointment to give blood.”
There is a need for all types of blood, but especially for blood types A negative, B negative and O negative.
DeGennaro explained the ways in which the Red Cross was called on to help during the late-December blizzard that dumped up to 3 feet of snow on some parts of New Jersey.
“The Jersey Coast Chapter supported five shelters in Monmouth County from Dec. 26 to 29,” she said. “We provided people with disaster relief.
“These were people that were stranded on the road or did not have any power in their homes. Over that period of time, we served 300 meals and sheltered 150 people.”
She said the Red Cross opened shelters at the headquarters in Tinton Falls, at the Monmouth Beach municipal building, at the Monmouth Mall in Eatontown, at the Ocean Township Community Center and at the South Wall Township Firehouse.
DeGennaro said that when the Red Cross is not handling emergency weather situations, the chapter is responding to people affected by fires.
“When it is not hurricane season and not crazy weather in the winter, we are actually responding to house fires constantly,” she said. “We had a very busy month in January when it comes to fires.
“Our volunteers have spent days at a time working with no sleep at shelters that we needed to open because there were electrical fires in big apartment buildings.” DeGennaro explained that Red Cross volunteers are trained to handle these emergencies.
“The most remarkable stories that come out are through our volunteers,” she said. “The volunteers drop everything to help those who need it the most. Red Cross is a volunteer driven organization, so some people don’t realize that our volunteers do extraordinary things.
When there is a fire, “the Red Cross gets a phone call from OEMs [Office of Emergency Management], the fire department or dispatchers,” she said. “Volunteers are trained at disaster relief through Red Cross, meaning thatwe do emergency casework, usually after the fire.”
DeGennaro said the Red Cross is the support system after disasters and helps people with casework, which includes filling out health insurance forms.
To provide this range of services, the Red Cross needs the support of donations, De- Gennaro reiterated.
“Financial donations are what we are urging to make it possible for the Red Cross to respond to needs when they come up again for our area,” she said. “The families need assistance; some people lose everything.”
According to a press release issued Feb. 16, March is designated as Red Cross Month. In the statement, Jersey Coast Chapter CEO Tara Kelly thanks supporters.
“When someone provides a hot meal to a disaster victim, gives blood, takes a first aid class, or helps someone in the military, they join the Red Cross,” Kelly said. “We want to say thank you to all who support us.
“That support enables us to provide help and hope to those who need our assistance,” she added.
The Red Cross has been helping people for 130 years, responding to disasters, assisting members of the military, teaching lifesaving skills and serving as one of the largest blood suppliers in the United States, the press release states.
Nationally, the Red Cross responds to an average of nearly 200 disasters every day. The organization provides an around-the-clock link between those in the military and their families, and supplies blood and blood products to approximately 3,000 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country.
In the past year, the Jersey Coast Chapter helped 173 local families who experienced a fire or other emergency and sheltered 1,200 individuals with mass sheltering, assisted 333 military families and trained more than 50,000 people in lifesaving skills. The chapter also held blood drives during which people from this area donated more than 9,000 units of blood.
“We work very diligently to help those in need,” Kelly said. “Whether out on a disaster, alongside our troops, at a blood drive or in a first aid class, Red Cross workers touch the lives of millions of people every year.”
According to the website, the Jersey Coast Chapter responds to about 300 emergencies a year, as well as providing health and safety education classes and training programs.