Cross Blog

Earthquake in Chile

Saturday, February 27, 2010

The American Red Cross has pledged an initial $50,000 from the International Response Fund to assist communities impacted by today’s earthquake in Chile. We are prepared to take further action as local responders assess the situation.
We are waking up to news of a massive earthquake in Chile.
We are working with the International Federation of Red Cross / Red Crescent to determine if and how the American Red Cross is responding.
To ask for or provide information about US citizens in Chile, contact the US State Dept at 1-888-407-4747.
The Chilean Red Cross is on Twitter. @CruzRojainforma. You can translate here: http://bit.ly/9duK6a.

iQor donates money for Haiti relief

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Employees from iQor, a customer care and finance company, raised $425 to donate to the American Red Cross for Haiti relief efforts.

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.

Local students raise money for Haiti

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Myers Park Traditional Elementary students, Cutter Davis III and his friends Henry Moldenhauer, Anderson Davis and Corey Fitzgerald, raised money for Haiti by asking friends, students and teachers for donations. They presented the check at a board meeting at the Greater Carolinas Chapter.

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.”

Assistance League donates much-needed backpacks for children

Thursday, February 18, 2010

On Wednesday, Feb. 10, the Assistance League of Charlotte donated backpacks filled with school supplies to the Greater Carolinas Chapter of the American Red Cross. The donation came as part of the League’s “Operation Bookbag,” in which they provide the bags for children whose families have been victims of home fires and other disasters.

Red Cross volunteers Berkely Godehn and Jim Sheely collected the bags from Laura Royster and Renee Reese with Assistance League.

Each year, the League donates these packs to the Red Cross to distribute them to local school-aged children. Often, when a family is displaced, children lose their school supplies. Having these packs enables them to get back into school quickly.

“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.

Services to the Armed Forces – Welcome Home Feb. 9, 2010

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

On Feb. 9, 2010, the Red Cross welcomed home the troops.  This is one of the services the Red Cross provides to the Armed Forces.  We provided hot chocolate, coffee and snacks for the troops and their families to enjoy.  Excitement and joy filled the room when the troops arrived in Charlotte, N.C. 

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.

Troutman Middle School students raise money for Haiti

Monday, February 15, 2010

Two Troutman Middle School students, Emma Plyer (6th grade) and John Payne (7th grade), held a fundrasier to raise money for relief efforts in Haiti. Together, they raised $203, which they gave to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

Here, Plyer, Payne and Jeff James, Troutman Middle School principal, hand the $203 check to a Red Cross volunteer.

“The Haitians Are Leading The Way”

Friday, February 05, 2010

American Red Cross volunteer Winnie Romeril returned from Haiti this past weekend after spending two weeks working on relief efforts there. Winnie has been instrumental in providing information about her experiences to us for sharing on this blog. On Monday, she spoke at a round table briefing at our National Headquarters. Here are some descriptions of the work she took part of, and her impressions upon leaving the country.

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

Update from the Ground: Haiti Earthquake

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Below are two video updates from American Red Cross Emergency Response Unit team members on the ground in Haiti. Watch to get a sense of how distribution at camp sites is assessed and carried out.

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.

Bobcats, NASCAR Foundation and the Red Cross raise money for Haiti

Monday, February 01, 2010

On Saturday, Jan. 23, the Charlotte Bobcats, NASCAR Foundation and the American Red Cross worked together to raise nearly $10,000 for Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti.

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.

Want to help in Haiti?

100 percent of the money raised that evening went to the Red Cross response in Haiti.