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

LOCAL AGENCIES STILL RESPONDING TO IKE

Local Agencies Still Responding to Ike by Richard Whittaker
Austin Chronicle
"But the biggest local burden was and still is being shouldered by the American Red Cross of Central Texas. Its shelters held a fraction of the 25,000 maximum evacuees the Red Cross agreed to take in, but it was still a costly undertaking. Nationwide, the Red Cross opened 916 shelters in 17 states, said Central Texas board Chair-elect Marty McKellips. "We provided 14 million meals and snacks, 100,000 comfort kits, 100,000 cleanup kits, and at the start of the season, we had no money in the disaster relief fund." Read the full story...

RED CROSS FEATURED IN AUSTIN CHRONICLE BEST OF 2008

The American Red Cross of Central Texas upped our “street cred” this week when we were featured in the Austin Chronicle’s Best of 2008 Critics Poll. The ARC of Central Texas was recognized, along with the Capital Area Food Bank, as the Critic’s Choice for Best Response in a Crisis for our work with evacuees from Hurricane Ike. The recognition is rightly attributed to volunteers for both organizations who tirelessly devote their time and energy to help those in need, while still maintaining their regular responsibilities to work and family.  Your continued efforts allow us to open our community in response to disasters such as Hurricane Ike in ways we could never manage without you.  We join the Chronicle in recognizing our volunteers and staff who make the American Red Cross of Central Texas work. Thank you!

From the Austin Chronicle:

Best Response in a Crisis: Central Texas Red Cross, Capital Area Food Bank
It's not their job. That's the first fact that everyone should remember when thinking about how the volunteers with these two charities stepped up to help the Hurricane Ike evacuees. It was the Red Cross that staffed shelters and the Capital Area Food Bank that handed out emergency supplies to those that had fled the coast. This award is not so much for the institutions but for the people that sacrificed their time and energy to help those in need – and will again.

American Red Cross of Central Texas 

2218 Pershing 

928-4271 

www.centex.redcross.org

Capital Area Food Bank 

8201 S. Congress 

282-2111 www.austinfoodbank.org