Red Cross Disaster Relief

[Bee]

As some of you may know, my wife works at the National Hqtrs for the American Red Cross. She sent an email out to our family and friends yesterday and I thought it would be worth posting here.

I sit here at my desk, thinking about all the things I need to do tonight to prepare for the storms that are expected to hit us here in DC when Isabel makes landfall. And I just received an email from Marty Evans, the President of the American Red Cross -- our Disaster fund is empty, bone dry. While we will continue to meet the immediate, basic needs of disaster victims – food, clothing, shelter, essential replacement medication and mental health services – we will have to reduce additional financial assistance to disaster victims for the foreseeable future.

Ever since 9/11/2001 when there was a huge outpouring of contributions in response to the one disaster, donations to the Red Cross Disaster Fund have plummeted.

Each year, the American Red Cross responds immediately to more than 67,000 disasters, including house or apartment fires (the majority of disaster responses), hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hazardous materials spills, transportation accidents, explosions, and other natural and man-made disasters. To read more about Red Cross Disaster Services, go to: http://redcross.org/services/disaste...0_319_,00.html

and if you can help out (volunteer, donate blood or donate money to the disaster relief fund) please do so today. You can even donate online at:
https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation-form.asp

For those of you in the oncoming path of Isabel, there are links to information about the hurricane as well as links to preparedness on the Red Cross site: http://www.redcross.org/article/0,1072,0_1_1612,00.html

be safe everyone! (and thanks for taking the time to read this!)

Barbara