HAITI ONE YEAR LATER

Read about how the Red Cross is helping in Haiti one year after the tragic earthquake hit. 

GOOD NEIGHBOR: GREATER AUSTIN MERCHANTS COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION

Mohmmad Ali, Amir Karovaliya, Marty McKellips (ARC), Sharif Prasala.

American Red Cross of Central Texas CEO Marty McKellips presented the Greater Austin Merchants Cooperative Association (GAMA) with a Good Neighbor Certificate at their offices on July 21,2010.  

GAMA serves convenience store and gasoline station owners by equipping them with bulk purchasing power, industry know-how, and the right connections to strengthen their business practices.  In cooperation with their member stores, GAMA has partnered with the American Red Cross of Central Texas through Fund Red canister drives, placing more than 700 canisters in their stores to collect donations from customers and patrons.  

Since 2008, GAMA member stores have raised more than $7,500.00 for relief efforts in response to Hurricane Ike and the Haiti Earthquake, while also helping the local chapter provide relief to families affected by disasters here in Central Texas.

Thank you GAMA!

Amir Karovaliya, President of GAMA and Marty McKellips, CEO of The ARC of Central Texas

BARTON CREEK ELEMENTARY DONATES FOR HAITI RELIEF

Barton Creek Elementary presented the American Red Cross with a check for $1,994.11 for Haiti Relief Efforts and the International Relief Fund.  The 4th grade class coordinated a Wax Museum event where kids "voted" on their favorite wax figure by donating money to the Red Cross.

We want to thank Ms. Alkire for coordinating this effort and thank all the kids at Barton Creek Elementary for turning their compassion into action!

Picture above are Chief Development Officer Debbie Immel, and Barton Creek Elementary students Ethan McWhirter, Emily Padilla, Jessica White and Nicolas Chevrie.

PHONE CALL SCAM REQUESTING FUNDS FOR HAITI MENTIONS RED CROSS

Beginning Sunday evening, February 21, individuals residing in the service area of the American Red Cross of Central Texas, as well as Chapters throughout the state have been receiving recorded messages requesting donations to support Haiti relief.  The caller is requesting donations to the “US Red Cross.” 

The American Red Cross does not call people in the middle of the night to ask them for financial contributions for Haiti or any program.  Our national headquarters is investigating the source of these calls.  Our apologies are extended to anyone who has received one of these calls.

For more information, contact Marty McKellips at 512.929.1293.

PLUCKERS WING BAR DONATES $10,000 FOR HAITI RELIEF

In addition to their wonderful donation of food for first responders on the scene of the plane crash in Austin yesterday, locally owned and operated Plucker's Wing Bar gave a big boost to Haiti Relief today with their $10,000 donation to the Red Cross.  We are are so grateful to Pluckers for their continuing support and we look forward to partnering with them on some fun future events.  Did we mention how good their food is?

 

Co-owners Dave Paul (left) and Sean Greenberg (right) present Chief Development Officer Debbie Immel with a $10,000 check for Haiti Relief.

TEXAS STATE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM COLLECTS DONATIONS FOR HAITI

Texas State women's basketball player and Haitian American Tamara Evans-Sluga makes a personal plea for relief donations for Haiti in this video:

http://all-access.cbssports.com/player.html?code=cs&media=162908

The team collected $250 for the Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund at their game this past Saturday.  Go Bobcats!

Have an idea for a fundraiser to benefit Red Cross?  Visit our website to see how you can Fund Red! 

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AMERICAN RED CROSS RELEASES $10 MILLION TO HELP HAITI

WASHINGTON, January 14, 2010 – With estimates that as many as three million people may be affected by the catastrophic earthquake which hit Haiti Tuesday, the American Red Cross is releasing an additional $9 million for earthquake relief, bringing its total commitment so far to $10 million to support relief efforts in Haiti.

Priority needs in Haiti are food, water, temporary shelter, medical services and emotional support.  Thousands of local Red Cross volunteers are aiding their fellow Haitians.  American Red Cross Disaster management specialists are scheduled to arrive today from the United States, Peru and Mexico to join local Red Cross staff already on the ground in the disaster zone.  As soon as airports begin accepting relief shipments, tarps, hygiene items and cooking sets for approximately 5,000 families will come from the Red Cross warehouse in Panama.

The American Red Cross is also helping the injured who may need blood.  More than 100 units of blood and blood products were shipped to the U.S. Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida, and then on to Guantanamo Bay to help Haitian evacuees and patients.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has a plane full of mostly medical items on the way to Haiti from Geneva.  ICRC staff, including engineers, a surgeon and family linking specialists are expected to arrive in Port-au-Prince this morning.  Other Red Cross partners have deployed a mobile hospital, medical teams, and 40 staff to help with sheltering, providing water, sanitation, and telecommunications.

ICRC is helping reconnect separated families in Haiti through a special web site which enables people in Haiti and outside the country to search for and register the names of relatives missing since the earthquake.  In the first twenty-four hours, more than 6,000 people have been registered.

Countless requests have come from people wanting to help.  The best way to do that is to make a donation to the American Red Cross International Response Fund at redcross.org or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS. Donors can designate their gifts to Haiti relief.  Donations to the International Response Fund allows the American Red Cross to respond to global emergencies and disasters.

In addition, several hundred thousand people have chosen to make a mobile donation.  Donors can text "Haiti" to 90999 on their cell phone to send a $10 donation to support Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti.  The mobile giving effort raised more than $3 million by Thursday morning, and all money raised goes to support Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti.

ARC OF CENTRAL TEXAS TAKES DONATIONS FOR HAITI RELIEF

Check out how your local Red Cross is being impacted by the relief efforts in Haiti:

AMERICAN RED CROSS PLEDGES INITIAL $1 MILLION TO HAITI RELIEF

WASHINGTON, Wednesday, January 13, 2010

The American Red Cross is sending money, supplies and staff to Haiti to support relief efforts there after yesterday’s earthquake, which caused catastrophic damage and loss of life.

According to reports, as many as three million people may have been affected by the quake, which collapsed government buildings and caused major damage to hospitals in the area.

The Red Cross is contributing an initial $1 million from the International Response Fund to support the relief operation, and has opened its warehouse in Panama to provide tarps, mosquito nets and cooking sets for approximately 5,000 families.

In addition to Red Cross staff already in Haiti, six disaster management specialists are being deployed to the disaster zone to help coordinate relief efforts. At this time, the American Red Cross is only deploying volunteers specially trained to manage international emergency operations.

There has been an outpouring of support from the public. To help, people can make an unrestricted donation to the International Response Fund at http://american.redcross.org/centraltexas or by calling 512.929.1251. The public can also help by texting “Haiti” to 90999 to send a $10 donation to the Red Cross, through an effort backed by the U.S. State Department. Funds will go to support American Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti.

Debris and collapsed bridges are making access to many areas extremely difficult. Telephone service and electricity are out in many places. Haitian Red Cross staff worked throughout the night to rescue people still trapped in their homes and provide first aid. The priority remains to provide food, water, temporary shelter, medical services and emotional support.

The American Red Cross already had fifteen staff in Haiti providing ongoing HIV/AIDS prevention and disaster preparedness programs. All are reported to be safe and responding to the disaster.

To date, there have been no requests for blood products from the government of Haiti. However, some patients at an affected facility in Haiti have been moved to a Guantanamo Bay hospital, and the Armed Services Blood Program has asked both the Red Cross and Florida Blood Services for support for those patients. In addition, the American Red Cross will be sending a shipment of blood products to the United Nations Mission in Haiti.

While communication with those in Haiti is still difficult, people should contact the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services at 1-888-407-4747 if trying to reach a U.S. citizen living or traveling in Haiti. If trying to reach a Haitian citizen, callers should continue to call or contact other family members who live nearby.

• We are not accepting volunteers to travel to Haiti. If you would like to volunteer for the American Red Cross, please contact your local chapter.
• For inquiries about relatives living and who have citizenship in Haiti, please be patient and call repeatedly until the lines clear or contact other family members who live nearby. Telephone, Internet and other communication lines are often disrupted in times of disaster.
• People trying to locate U.S. citizens living or traveling in Haiti should contact the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services, at 1-888-407-4747 or (202) 647-5225.

Photo: Matthew Marek, American Red Cross