Red Cross Assists American Samoa, Philippines, Vietnam
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Your Help is Urgently Needed Local workers deployed to relief efforts.
For Immediate Release
TUCSON, October 1, 2009 -- The Red Cross is busy responding to a series of disasters across the globe, and urges the public to support the massive relief efforts underway in American Samoa, the Philippines and Thailand.
Two Massive Efforts are underway - Your gifts can help!
American Samoa Tsunami
On Tuesday, September 29, 2009, a powerful earthquake hit the South Pacific creating a tsunami that raged across the islands of American Samoa/Western Samoa.
The American Red Cross is already responding on American Samoa with our local volunteers.
- Following Tuesday's 8.0 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami, a significant portion of American Samoa is without power or water amid widespread damage.
- The American Red Cross has dozens of volunteers already providing food and supplies in affected areas.
- A leadership team of 50 volunteers is on its way to the island to supplement the local Red Cross workforce.
- *Note:* One Red Cross worker from Tucson, Greg Rippengale, is en route to the island today to provide disaster relief.
- The immediate focus of the Red Cross is to provide food, water and needed supplies.
- The Red Cross has a warehouse on the island stocking cots, flashlights, cooking supplies and clean-up supplies, and we will be sending in additional supplies as quickly as we can.
Donations are needed to the American Red Cross National Disaster Relief Fund to support this relief effort.
Typhoon Ketsana Relief Efforts (Philippines & Vietnam)
On Saturday, September 26, Typhoon Ketsana hit areas of the Philippines, creating the worst flooding in more than 40 years in the capital city of Manila and others in the northern part of the country.
Monday, Sept. 28, the same storm struck Vietnam, washing away homes, damaging crops and endangering lives. Hundreds of thousands of people are displaced and in need of food, clothing and shelter. The Philippines National Red Cross and the Vietnam Red Cross is providing search and rescue services and mobilizing hundreds of volunteers to shelter, feed and clothe families. The International Red Cross had called on all Red Cross Societies, including the American Red Cross to support this relief effort with financial contributions.
The American Red Cross is providing immediate support, by deploying financial resources, emergency response specialists and/or supplies, as requested.
Donations are needed to the Red Cross International Response Fund to support this relief effort.
How You Can Help: Help people affected by disaster like the recent earthquakes and floods by donating to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. On those rare occasions when donations exceed Red Cross expenses for a specific disaster, contributions are used to prepare for and serve victims of other disasters. Your financial support will help the Red Cross respond to disasters like this situation in the Samoan islands.
To help American Samoa, designate your gift to the National Disaster Relief Fund.
To help in the Philippines or Vietnam, designate the International Response Fund.
Give today by contacting:
Your local American Red Cross Southern Arizona Chapter
The national office of the American Red Cross
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Mail: P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. -
Phone: 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) or (1-800-257-7575 (Spanish)
Additional Information: Product Donations: We are not accepting donations of products and goods at this time. Our disaster relief teams purchase items in affected communities to reinvest in local economies affected by disasters.
Welfare Inquiries: Getting information out of the affected areas is very slow at this time. The Red Cross urges those who have been able to contact loved ones on American Samoa to register them with Safe and Well, the best way to share information about their status. You can register on the Red Cross Safe and Well Website at www.redcross.org. If you do not have internet access, call 1-800-REDCROSS to register your loved ones. The information you post will let other loved ones know about the well-being of those on the island. Please note - Safe and Well works only on American Samoa. The service will not work on Samoa.
Interviews: Please contact the local Southern Arizona Chapter Media Line at 520-403-7408 to arrange interviews about the disaster and/or with deploying workers.
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Small Business Redcross Highlight The Redcross of arizona relies on individual and corporate contributions to make our services available to victims of natural disasters and those in need. Occasionally we like to highlight the services and products offered by some of our small business members. One such business offers financial services and products for small business. You can check them out here.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit http://www.redcrossarizona.org/ or join National's blog at http://blog.redcross.org/.
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