 Red Cross Continues to Provide Emergency Help Despite Significant Depletion of Disaster Relief Funds
St. Louis Area Chapter leads flood relief efforts in Missouri and Illinois
St. Louis, Thursday, June 19, 2008 – The American Red Cross is currently helping the victims of flooding and tornadoes across an enormous seven-state region in the Midwest even though money is largely depleted from the National Disaster Relief Fund. While continuing the relief efforts in Missouri, Illinois and five other states, the Red Cross is now urging the St. Louis Area community to give, and give generously.
Since April, the Red Cross has initiated 30 disaster operations during the record-breaking tornado season and severe flooding that has impacted hundreds of thousands of people. Over the past six weeks, the American Red Cross and its partner organizations have opened 100 shelters with more than 9,000 overnight stays. Nearly 1,800 Red Cross workers and 89 emergency response vehicles have served more than 360,000 meals and snacks. In addition, first aid and mental health caseworkers have deployed to provide counseling and support to individuals throughout the Midwest. This series of disasters in the Central United States is expected to cost the American Red Cross at least $15 million; however the National Disaster Relief Fund currently has less than $5 million.
Even with the Disaster Relief Fund nearly depleted, the Red Cross continues to provide emergency assistance to clients; disaster clients are seeing no change in Red Cross services which include immediate food, shelter, emotional support, clean up supplies and other emergency assistance. However, without the funds in hand to provide these services, the American Red Cross must borrow money to cover disaster operating expenses.
St. Louis Area Chapter CEO Joe White says, “We live in a country where we take care of our neighbors and we trust that this deeply-held American belief will inspire everyone to step up and support the relief effort. The Red Cross is providing services right now and we’ll continue to be there for all those who need us. But to meet the needs of the Midwest flooding and future disasters, we’re asking St. Louisans to help us by donating now to the Red Cross by calling 1.800.RED.CROSS or by giving on-line at www.redcrossstl.org. We need your help.”
Leadership Efforts of Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter
As flood waters continue to move down the Mississippi River, Red Cross disaster workers are responding as the situation demands. Red Cross Chapters from Iowa to Missouri are staffing shelters, serving meals, delivering and staging emergency supplies, and canteening sandbaggers. The St. Louis Area Chapter has taken a proactive role in helping other Red Cross Chapters throughout the Midwest by serving as the regional lead in the disaster relief effort for Missouri and Illinois. As the lead, the St. Louis Area Chapter, recently recognized by the American National Red Cross as one of the most prepared communities in America, is sharing its administrative and operational resources by serving as headquarters to coordinate and support the local relief work across the two states. While over 100 Red Cross workers are currently on the job from the St. Louis Area Chapter, 16 of them have deployed as disaster relief volunteers to provide sheltering, disaster assessments and disaster mental health services to affected people in Indiana and Iowa. Another four volunteers just deployed to assist Red Cross Chapters in Hannibal, Missouri, and Quincy, Illinois.
Direct Services in the St. Louis Area:
Direct services in the St. Louis area during this ongoing relief effort include sheltering and feeding. In addition, the St. Louis Area Chapter has coordinated with local emergency officials, community organizations, and faith-based groups to pre-position relief supplies, such as cots, blankets and comfort kits. The Chapter manages the 95,000 square foot national warehouse and has shipped dozens of semi-trucks full of emergency supplies and equipment from St. Louis to Iowa, Indiana and Wisconsin to facilitate flood relief operations on both sides of the river.
Currently, Red Cross volunteers are staffing two shelters to give affected families and individuals a safe place to stay and a warm meal to eat:
- OPEN - First United Methodist Church – 801 First Capitol Drive – St. Charles, MO
- OPEN - Winfield Senior High School – 3920 East Highway 47 – Winfield, MO
- CLOSED - Calhoun County High School – P. O. Box 387 – Hardin, IL (as of 6 p.m. today)
Importance of the Disaster Relief Fund
Disaster victims need essential items right away, such as food, shelter and mental health counseling. In order to respond to anyone with disaster-caused needs whenever and wherever a disaster occurs, the Red Cross relies upon emergency resources provided by the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. The American Red Cross is a charity, not a government agency. The organization doesn’t receive funding from the federal government to do its work.
The Red Cross not only responds to large, highly-visible disasters like hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes, but to thousands of smaller disasters in communities across the country on a daily basis. These disasters can affect all people, like house and apartment fires, power outages and severe weather storms. To enable the Red Cross to respond to disasters, both large and small, financial resources are necessary. All disaster assistance provided by the American Red Cross is free and made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people.
How You Can Help:
You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year, disasters like the massive Midwest floods and tornadoes, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of disaster. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. To make a contribution in support of disaster relief for this and future events, please call 1.800.RED.CROSS or donate on-line at www.redcrossstl.org.
About Red Cross Emergency Services:
The American Red Cross provides immediate assistance with food, clothing, shelter and other needs in the wake of disasters and emergencies. The Red Cross is able to respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week and provide a vast array of programs and services throughout the region due to the dedication of thousands of volunteers that give freely of their time.
About the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter:
Founded in 1917, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter celebrates 91 years of dedicated service, providing emergency relief and preparedness training more than 446,600 times each year. The Red Cross is a charity, not a government agency, and depends on the efforts of thousands of volunteers and donors to provide a wide range of community support services, including disaster relief, first aid and CPR training, water safety, services to military personnel and support for blood services. The Chapter, a United Way agency, provides programs and services to St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Jefferson County in Missouri, as well as Monroe, St. Clair (including Scott Air Force Base) and part of Madison County in Illinois. All disaster relief services are provided free of charge thanks to the generosity of the American people. To learn more about Red Cross programs, volunteer opportunities, and how you can help, contact the St. Louis Area Chapter at 314.516.2800 or www.redcrossstl.org. |