Wednesday, June 6, 2001
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Wednesday, June 6, 2001 |
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Disasters on the rise; Red Cross appeals for funds The American Red Cross announced that it has launched a nationwide fund-raising campaign to raise $20 million by June 30 to support disaster relief efforts in communities across the country. The Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter, like many other Red Cross chapters, has seen a marked increase in the expenditure of disaster relief funds over the past few years. Stephanie Wright, who directs the Red Cross disaster program in the south metro counties of Fayette, Clayton, Henry and Butts, reported that last month alone disaster action teams from the Morrow service center responded to 25 calls for aid. Sixty-three people received a helping hand from the Red Cross. More than $8,600 in food, clothing, shelter and other assistance was provided. "The American Red Cross responds to a disaster every eight minutes, around the clock, 365 days a year," said Dr. John Clizbe, vice president of Disaster Services at the American National Red Cross. "Due to many costly disasters and the absence of major high-visibility disasters, our costs have outpaced our contributions from the public." Nationwide in the past year, the Red Cross has spent more than $27 million providing lifesaving relief to the victims of almost 300 major disasters in 45 states, but has raised only $16 million toward those efforts, putting a significant strain on the organization's resources. The Atlanta disaster relief figures show a significant increase over the last three years. During the period August 1998 to March 1999, local Red Cross workers and volunteers responded to 360 disaster assistance calls, helping 639 families, or 2,274 people. More than $379,600 in food, clothing and shelter assistance was provided. The same period 2000 2001, shows 509 calls for assistance, 149 more than 1998 1999. Assistance totalling $575,100 went to 914 families/3,073 people during this time. Many of those calls were in the south metro area. Three years in a row of increased disaster activity have put a strain on the local chapter's disaster budget, said Nancy Brockway, director of disaster services for the Metropolitan Atlanta Red Cross. "We exceeded our total annual budget with two months still remaining in the fiscal year," she said. She continued, "People in our community don't realize how many disasters are reported to the Red Cross almost every day of the year. Our volunteer disaster action teams are constantly responding to these calls and taking care of immediate needs," she explained. "These often are not headline-grabbing events which usually generate financial donations to the local disaster program. As a result, we see a constant drain on our budget." All disaster assistance provided by the Red Cross is free. "The only way we can do that is through the generosity of citizens and businesses," emphasized Wright. Red Cross is not a government organization so it relies on individual contributions, she explained. There are a number of ways to help. Contributions can be made to the Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter, P.O. Box 101590, Atlanta, GA 30392. The local chapter's donation line can be reached by calling 404-876-3706. Contributions can also be made to the national American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund at 1-800-HELP NOW or by sending a donation to American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online credit card donation by visiting www.redcrossatlanta.org. Coinstar machines in many area grocery stores such as Kroger and Harris Teeter will also accept contributions for the Disaster Relief Fund. Consumers can visit HtmlResAnchor www.findcoinstar.com or call 1-800-928-CASH to find the nearest Coinstar machine. Wright emphasized, "The helping hand the Red Cross extends is, in reality, that of our generous and caring community."
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