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06.25.2009 United Way funding cuts put severe strain on Red Cross services
When Rufina Contreras lost her apartment to a fire, she had nowhere to turn. Not only were she and her family without a home, but one of her youngest sons was badly burned and needed emergency medical attention. Contreras was scared.
When volunteers from the Greater Carolinas Chapter of the American Red Cross arrived, they told her, “We’re here to help.” And they did. Contreras, who was able to stay with friends, received assistance for food and clothing, and the Red Cross was also able to help her with the cost of transporting her injured child to a hospital in Chapel Hill.
“I don’t know what I would have done without the Red Cross,” Contreras, who is Mexican-American, said through a translator. “It’s because of them that we are back on our feet and my son received the care he needed.”
Unfortunately, a situation like Contreras’ happens nearly every day. Last year, the Greater Carolinas Chapter assisted 314 families who had a home fire or other disaster – and the need for Red Cross help is growing.
“The reality is that in this economic climate, the demand for our critical Red Cross Emergency Services is going up, and our funding for it is decreasing,” said Pamela Jefsen, CEO of the Greater Carolinas Chapter.
United Way of the Central Carolinas cut local Red Cross services nearly $500,000. Of that, $171,000 was cut from Emergency and Disaster Relief. Because the Red Cross is not a government-funded agency and relies solely on donations from the community, the news of the cuts has been devastating.
“Our Emergency Services program, which took a 40 percent cut in funding from United Way, keeps people from becoming homeless because we can help them find a place to stay after a fire or flooding,” Jefsen said. “We don’t even want to think about what will happen to these victims of disaster when we start losing the ability to provide that help.”
In order to prevent cutting critical assistance and other programs, the Greater Carolinas Chapter had a 40 percent reduction in staff over the last 15 months. Now, due to the loss in United Way allocations, chapter leadership may have to make tough decisions as they consider the critical needs of the community and prepare the 2009-10 budget.
“This is an incredibly difficult time for us because we know the community will suffer if we have to cut programs,” Jefsen said. “There will be people who lose their homes and have nowhere to go. There will be people who won’t be able to get to critical medical appointments without our transportation services.”
The Red Cross Transportation Services program – another area that suffered cuts from the United Way – takes people who have no other means of transportation from their doorstep to medical appointments.
“Our Transportation Services is literally a lifeline for thousands of people in our community,” Jefsen said. “These are the services our community simply can’t do without.”
How can our community help?
The Greater Carolinas Chapter is solely funded by donations from people in our community. There are a number of ways you can help:
•Make a donation by calling 704.347.8271, sending a check to American Red Cross, Greater Carolinas Chapter, P.O. Box 60766, Charlotte NC 28260 or visiting http://www.redcrosshelps.org.
•Participate in the Lake Norman Excursion annual bike riding fundraiser on July 18 (www.lakenormanexcursion.com)
•Sponsor an event, activity or regular business function, such as printing
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The Greater Carolinas Chapter of the American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; helps maintain a safe and adequate blood supply; teaches lifesaving skills; transports clients to critical medical appointments; and supports military members and their families. To make a donation or find out more about the American Red Cross, visit http://www.redcrosshelps.org.