Generous Donors Meet American Red Cross Costs For Kansas Tornadoes And Flooding

Due to the extraordinary generosity of the public, the American Red Cross believes that current financial donations and pledges will be sufficient to cover the estimated costs of its response to the tornadoes that hit Kansas on May 4, 2007 and the subsequent flooding caused by the same storm system. Donors rushed to meet the needs of those who lost their homes to the violent storm system and because of their quick action, the Red Cross was able to provide a safe place to stay, hot meals, basic first aid and mental health counseling to the survivors of these storms. As a good steward of donated dollars, the Red Cross has a standard practice of informing the public when sufficient funds have been raised to cover the costs associated with a disaster response. The financial donations and pledges received to date will cover the estimated $1.4 million cost for the Red Cross response to the tornadoes and flooding in Kansas. Accordingly, the Red Cross will no longer initiate fundraising activities for this disaster response. Many donations remain in "pledge" form and, while not yet received by the Red Cross, have been incorporated into funds available for the relief effort. It is important for supporters to fulfill their pledged gifts. The generous financial support allowed more than 635 Red Cross disaster relief workers -- 95 percent of them volunteers -- to ensure that survivors had shelter, food, comfort and the means to provide essential items for themselves and their families. Survivors received counseling, basic healthcare and family connecting services. The Red Cross provided more than 1,000 overnight stays in eight Red Cross shelters and more than 50,000 meals and snacks. Nineteen mobile feeding units were dispatched to ensure residents still in their homes and emergency workers in the field had access to a hot meal as well. In the coming weeks and months, the Red Cross will work with community partners to identify resources that can aid in the long-term recovery of our disaster clients. As the needs of families and individuals change and evolve over the next several weeks, the Red Cross will continue to help disaster survivors. The Red Cross asks donors to support the ongoing needs of the survivors by giving to the other charities and non-profit organizations that continue to raise funds for recovery efforts in Kansas. The Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund another way for people to help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year. The public's continued support is also essential to the more than 750 Red Cross chapters that provide lifesaving support in local communities every day. The Red Cross is committed to keeping donors and the public informed of how donations are being used to provide ongoing relief. The most recent information can be found on

(Author: http://www.redcross.org)

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