Many people in northern New Jersey spend little time thinking about the Red Cross and how it serves the community. Those who have never faced the devastation of being forced from their homes due to a cataclysmic event would have little reason to. Nonetheless, the organization continues, usually without much fanfare, to perform the indispensable function of swiftly coming to the aid of people who have been touched by the fickle finger of fate and have nowhere to turn for help.

Contrary to what some may think, the American Red Cross is not a government agency and does not receive funding from the government. The disaster relief services provided by the Red Cross are free of charge, but are only made possible through donations; and the people who serve the Red Cross do so on a volunteer basis.

On Saturday, May 3, the American Red Cross of Northern New Jersey (ARCNNJ) will hold the "Touch of Red" gala, its largest fundraiser of the year. The proceeds of gala will go toward the chapter’s diverse array of programs and services, including disaster relief and education, health and safety training, blood services, a world-renowned Braille transcription program, and services to the military and their families.

This year’s gala will honor two great contributors to the efforts of the ARCNNJ. The first is Corporate Honoree Robert J. Iacullo, who as the COO of United Water has helped provide financial support to the ARCNNJ for many years. Special Events Manager Barbara Memoli states that United Water deserves recognition "based on their long support of the American Red Cross and dedication to our mission."

The second is Volunteer Honoree Juliet Rothenberg, who has been an extremely active volunteer at the ARCNNJ headquarters in Fairfield for four years.

A wave of compassion

In the wake of the Tsunami that devastated coastlines on the Indian Ocean in December 2004, Rothenberg, a Wayne resident, felt that she had to do something to help the victims. She raised $4,000 through collections at her temple, Beth Tikvah, and brought the money to the ARCNNJ office in Fairfield. Rothenberg says that she warmed up to the staff instantly, and inquired about helping out at the office: "I said, ‘I have a couple of hours today. Can I give some time?’" That was four years ago. Since then, Rothenberg has worked at the office nearly full-time, on a completely volunteer basis. "I don’t need the money," she says, "and it makes me feel good just knowing I am helping out… It’s a pleasure waking up in the morning and knowing I am going to the Red Cross."

Rothenberg has become so devoted to her job that she has encouraged her family and friends to get involved in volunteering at the ARCNNJ. Her two grandsons, Matthew, 11 and Michael, 13, come to the office to stuff envelopes when they have off from school. "When they sleep over my house," Rothenberg says proudly, "they automatically know they are coming to help out."

Her attitude is a vivid illustration of how volunteering not only benefits society, but also instills a sense of purpose and self worth in the volunteers themselves. The responsibility is no burden, according to Rothenberg. "Anybody that a wants to hear it," she says, "I tell them I’ve been in business over 50 years, and this is the best job I’ve ever had."

Even with outstanding volunteer help, it is not cheap to run a service organization with the breadth and complexity of the ARCNNJ. The gala is more than just a fancy party to honor the people who keep the organization running. It’s a serious fundraising effort, the proceeds from which will contribute to keeping the organization afloat for the next year. According to Henry Ramer, a co-chair of the Touch of Red gala, the largest proportion of funds raised at the event come from the silent auction and raffling of donated gifts, such as vacation packages and sports memorabilia. Sponsors of the event include Fletcher Creamer & Sons, Inc., United Water, Hackensack University Medical Center, Roy W. Walters & Associates, IDT, BD, and BAE Systems.

Where does the money go?

Nearly 400 times a year, day or night, volunteers of the ARCNNJ respond to disasters throughout the jurisdiction, which includes Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Passaic Counties. Many of these incidents are highly destructive home fires, but the team has also responded to floods, plane crashes, brush fires, blizzards and windstorms. The ARCNNJ provides for the immediate emergency needs of disaster victims, giving them a place to stay, food and clothing, and making sure that victims have prescription medications and eyeglasses. The chapter assists at least 2,000 victims every year.

The volunteers who make up the Disaster Relief Force are all trained in emergency medical assistance. On top of that, more than 15,000 local residents turn to the ARCNNJ to learn and earn certification in such life saving skills such as first aid, CPR, and life-guarding. Ramer, who has taken a course in CPR, says that the courses empower members of the community to keep themselves and their friends, families and neighbors safe. "It gives you the feeling that if, heaven forbid, you should come upon a crisis, you might be able to do something more than just say, ‘call an ambulance,’" he says.

One other very unique program that could not exist without donor funds is the Braille transcription program. The ARCNNJ is the largest remaining volunteer Braille production center in the world. It was established after World War I to aid servicemen blinded by mustard gas. Today, visually impaired school children are the recipients of over 3,000 Braille textbooks distributed annually throughout the United States and four foreign countries. Each year, over 1,300,000 pages of Braille are produced by ARCNNJ.

Ramer points out that the ARCNNJ is involved in Red Cross activities on a global scale as well, such as Holocaust tracing, helping US servicemen stationed overseas get in touch with their families and providing aid to victims of the genocide in Darfur.

Although he is on the Board of Directors of the organization, and is mainly occupied with matters of administration, Ramer has also spent time on the streets soliciting contributions, and he feels that the public response is generally one of great support. "I found myself in Penn station at 7 a.m. collecting for donations," he recalls, "I was there more than three hours, and by the end I could hardly hold the can, it was so stuffed." He believes that even people not touched by tragedy have an appreciation for what the Red Cross does. "People would walk up to me and say ‘You guys are good, you are always there," he says. "It was an uplifting morning."

He and the other co-chairs of the event, Jennifer Shakibai and Jane Hembrough, both from Ridgewood, as well as all the volunteers and donors to be honored, hope that the Touch of Red Gala will prove to be an uplifting evening.

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