Wednesday, October 24, 2001
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Wednesday, October 24, 2001 |
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Fayette chips in over $40,000 to Red Cross for relief efforts in N.Y. By JOHN
MUNFORD
Fayette County can be proud. The recent donation of more than $41,000 to the American Red Cross, coming from the recent boot drive by Fayetteville and Fayette County firefighters, is the largest donation received from the south metro area. The funds will be used to benefit victims of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., and those who are working on recovery efforts there. Since the attacks, Americans have responded by donating over $452 million to the Red Cross. More than 500,000 blood donations have been held since the Sept. 11 attacks. The initial relief effort includes a $100 million gift program to provide financial assistance to families of people lost in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, including first responders and emergency personnel. This program will help families meet mortgage or rent payments, utility bills, funeral expenses and other monetary needs. So far, more than $14 million has been placed in the hands of more than 900 family members, according to the Red Cross. Locally, the Red Cross has helped coordinate flights donated by Delta Air Lines for Red Cross volunteers and families grieving loved ones lost in the attacks. Also, meals and shelter were provided to 275 people stranded at Hartsfield when the attacks took place. The local Red Cross has also: Developed and scheduled a disaster training course to teach disaster preparedness skills, including new information on terrorism; Sent supplies to the relief effort in New York from the local warehouse, including food preparation supplies, fans and clean-up kits; Coordinated more than 700 local volunteers and staff; and Processed more than 94,000 phone calls from the public concerning blood donations, contributions and volunteer opportunities.
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