Fourth-graders at Nations Ford Elementary raised hundreds of dollars for the Red Cross by selling paper hearts to their peers and teachers.
Red Cross representative visited the school and asked if the students knew how their money would be spent.
“To get people food,” one student answered.
“To get them water,” said another one.
The students were very knowledgeable about Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti, and they were eager to help.
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Above, (from right) iQor managers Kevin Washington, Emily Patterson and Robin Massey Jones give the $425 check to Red Cross volunteer Whitney Allder.
“We felt the need within our center to assist those less fortunate by collecting money for the Haiti relief project,” said Jones.
“We specifically chose the Red Cross because we know that all of the donated money goes to Haiti relief,” said Patterson.
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Pictured, the students presented the check for more than $300 to board member Cutter Davis II (Cutter Davis III’s father), Board Chair Mike Rash, Board Vice-Chair Iris Horton and GCC CEO Pamela Jefsen.
While attending the Board of Directors’ meeting to present the check, the boys heard Elaine Lyerly, National Tiffany Circle Co-Chair, speak about her 2009 trip to Africa.
Lyerly visited a remote village in Kenya where the Red Cross had brought clean water to the people living there. The Red Cross started a goat project in which the goats produce iodized milk and can be milked twice daily, providing a “whole meal” to children and families.
The boys listened to Lyerly’s story about Africa and saw many pictures from her trip. Cutter, 11, said he realized how much we take for granted in our everyday life after seeing a picture of a hotel that you could “look right through.”
Pictured, Elaine Lyerly stands with young African boys during her trip in 2009.
Another picture of the goat milking station - which was nothing more than a bunch of sticks that somehow had been formed in to a working hut - was “appalling,” in Davis’ words.
He was also interested in a picture of the African people’s reaction as they looked at themselves for the first time in a picture on a camera phone. He said he realized how Americans are extremely attached to technology. Davis was amazed at how the people in Africa are so willing to share with each other, even though they are in such great need.
“It’s great to see students at Cutter’s age realize how people around the world live,” said Jefsen. “And then to see them raise money the way Cutter and his friends did - it’s heartwarming.”
“It is so important for children to receive something like this after a disaster, because it helps bring them a sense of normalcy,” said Rick Schou, director of Emergency Services for the Greater Carolinas Chapter. “And the fact that Assistance League was able to make such a generous donation - well, it really helps out our chapter.”
The Assistance Leauge of Charlotte is a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and their families through community-based philanthropic projects.
To learn more about them, visit charlotte.assistanceleague.org.
The Red Cross also provides a service that keeps the American people in touch with their family members serving in the United States military. Wherever United States military troops are located, Red Cross employees and volunteers are there to meet their special needs. The Red Cross provides reporting and communication services through a network, which links members of the military any place in the world with their loved ones back home. Here is a story of a person that the Red Cross was able to help:
For more information about the services the Red Cross provides for military members and their families, click here.
Here, Plyer, Payne and Jeff James, Troutman Middle School principal, hand the $203 check to a Red Cross volunteer.
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The Red Cross firmly believes that we must work with the community to figure out their needs. One example is how our water purification teams talk to community leaders to figure out what’s going on. Outside Port-au-Prince in smaller cities and villages, there are many wells unscathed by the earthquake– so we test them to let people know if the water is safe. In communities where it’s not safe, we have set up water distribution points.
There is an incredible resiliency in the Haitian people. Since everyone has been affected by the earthquake, this has created a powerful sense of unity. This resiliency is particularly prevalent among children, many of whom continue to laugh and play despite the widespread devastation. The market economy has also started coming back with some banks, gas stations and stores now open. Food and other materials are coming in from the unaffected countryside. Relatives who live abroad are sending in money.
How well would we like to build back Haiti? We could bring them back to the standards they were at before the earthquake, but is that good enough? It’s not. Haiti unfortunately will have more disasters. We need to help them prepare for future events with better construction that can withstand hurricanes and earthquakes. We know how to do this: we’ve done it in Pakistan, Peru, and China, and we can do it in Haiti. For every dollar we invest in disaster preparedness, we save $4-8 in disaster response. The Haitians are leading the way in rebuilding their lives.
We need to support Haitians to be stronger for the future.
Read more about Winnie’s experiences
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The Red Cross is focusing on three areas – food, clean drinking water and other relief items such as hygiene kits, blankets, tarps, sleeping mats, tents and water containers. The relief items are helping more than 10,000 families (50,000 people) to date – with plans to increase this number. About 79 percent of the funds spent or committed by the American Red Cross have been for food and water; 18 percent have been for shelter; and the rest have been for health and family services.
To read the latest updates on disaster relief in Haiti, please visit our Disaster Online Newsroom.
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Volunteers from the organizations - including more than a dozen from the Red Cross - collected money outside Time Warner Cable Arena prior to the Charlotte Bobcats vs. Orlando Magic game. Volunteers also staffed two tables inside the arena where spectators could make donations.
During the game, there were several reminders to text “HAITI” to 90999 to make a $10 donation. There was also a contest at halftime, which raised $2,500 for relief efforts. The Bobcats and NASCAR Foundation matched those proceeds, bringing the total to $5,000 from the halftime contest alone!
When you add that to the total amount raised from collecting donations outside, the efforts Saturday brought in nearly $10,000 for Red Cross response in Haiti.
Thank you to everyone who helped by either volunteering or making a donation.
100 percent of the money raised that evening went to the Red Cross response in Haiti.
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How you can help:
Coy Powell, a Red Cross volunteer driver for more than four years, said one of the most important qualities in a driver is being flexible. Powell said some people may complain and want no assistance, while others are excited to see him. He said it is their choice to receive assistance. “We assist where we can; we do not force ourselves.”
Powell said his favorite element about this service is meeting different people. He said he enjoys to hear their life experiences, where they have been and what they have done. While volunteering at the Red Cross, Powell met a client that had coached baseball at his former high school when he had attended.
While on his route Thursday, Jan. 28, Powell picked up Lula Stewart, who moved to Charlotte in 1992. Stewart has been using this service once a month for more than two years. She said she enjoys the atmosphere, company and a pleasant drive with conversation. Stewart’s most memorable moment was her second ride with the Red Cross. No volunteer drivers were available to pick her up from her doctor visit, so Betty Burton, the scheduling coordinator, picked her up. Stewart said she was amazed at how courteous Burton was.
The second client for Powell was Christine Leach, who has been in Charlotte since 1963. Leach has been using this service twice a week for four or five years. She said the drivers are very nice to her, and they always help her in and out of the car. Leach said, “I could not ask for a better ride.”
The third client for Powell was Horace Matthews, who has been in Charlotte since 1962. Matthews has been using this service twice a week for five years. He said he likes the drivers, who are on time no matter what. Matthews said laughing, “They need to be paid!”
Need transportation services or want to be a volunteer driver?
]]>This is the first of several checks to come from Belk, Inc. and its store employees. All 314 stores across the Southeast and the headquarters have been coordinating Haiti disaster relief fundraising efforts.
Employees coordinated various fundraising drives and pitches and combined that with personal donations. Belk has been a generous supporter of Red Cross disaster relief for several years.
Pictured, John Luebke of the Greater Carolinas Chapter accepts a check for more than $11,000 from Belk employees.
Caption: Bottom: Steve Kelly, vice president of marketing for Belk; Shanetta Spears, Jennifer Dyer, Amanda Hawley, John - Red Cross, Audrey Rabb, Lauren Fields, Bob Alexander
Top: Paris Gormley, Shirley Rice, Denise Podavini, Bruce Fisher, Annette Brinson, Yolanda Johnson, Swantavia Graham.
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The money was raised this past Sunday by the Latino community. They worked with Jesus Ministry Inc., Norsan Radio Group and Alex Ruiz Productions to collect funds during a radio-thon at the Compare Foods Supermarkets in Charlotte, Monroe and Gastonia.
All of the money, raised in one day, will go toward helping the people in Haiti.
Pamela Jefsen, CEO of the Greater Carolinas Chapter, said, “We are in awe of how the Latino community came together this weekend to raise money for American Red Cross response efforts in Haiti.”
If you want to help:
For more pictures click here!
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