Red Cross leads local relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina

SUSSEX COUNTY — With most of New Orleans still under water and much of the beleaguered Gulf Coast region a declared disaster area, the American Red Cross has been hard at work. Local chapters of the Red Cross nationwide have mobilized to come to the aid of the countless surviving victims of Hurricane Katrina, which struck the Gulf Coast region early last week with devastating winds and rains. Meanwhile, other organizations and businesses are also organizing fund-raising efforts. They include the New Jersey branch of the Salvation Army and UNICO, the Italian-American social organization. Also, Lafayette Village is organizing a belly-dancing event to raise money and Mountain Creek is organizing two fund-raising drives to benefit Red Cross efforts. (See box on page 3) "When there's a disaster, all the Red Cross chapters across the nation come together and really function as one Red Cross," explained Kristi Young, the director of programs and services for the Red Cross' Sussex County chapter in Newton. "So we're doing a variety of things here in Sussex County, and one of those things is to serve as a collection site for financial donations. We're also training volunteers and taking those who have already been trained down to the Gulf Coast to assist with the relief operation. "We're also fielding phone calls from organizations and families in the area who want to do something," Young added. "The response has been outstanding. The phones have just been ringing off the hook." With hundreds already confirmed dead, Katrina is believed to be the nation's worst disaster since the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 and the hurricane of 1900 that killed thousands of people in Galveston, Tex. In New Orleans, where levee breaches near both the Mississippi River and Lake Ponchartrain — which are situated on either side of the city—helped result in widespread destruction and heavy flooding, the situation is also a health issue. "New Orleans is basically a toxic cesspool right now," Young said. "Our volunteers are being deployed down there for at least two weeks. It's what we call a hardship assignment. There's no electricity and they're sleeping in shelters. Obviously, we're telling our volunteers before they go to purchase rubber boots and flashlights because they're going down into some pretty archaic situations. "And once they go down there, they're doing a lot of things," Young continued. "They're feeding people, sheltering people and providing mental health counseling. We (also) have volunteers who are doctors, nurses and paramedics. And the heat certainly makes things worse." Young added that misunderstandings about money collected after the 9/11 terror attacks should no longer be an issue. "The Red Cross has always operated the same way," Young explained. "There was just a misconception about how the money was going to be handled. Policy has changed and we want to know what the donor's intent is. If they want it to go toward Hurricane Katrina, it will go toward Hurricane Katrina. And we want to be upfront about where that money is going. "The American Red Cross is not a government-funded agency," Young added. "We rely strictly on donations from the American people." Young also stressed that since the Red Cross solicits by mail rather than phone, anyone receiving calls from people claiming to be affiliated with the agency should be careful. "We haven't called anybody to solicit," Young concluded. "Report it to the police, or report it to us if they suspect anything. If you do get a phone call, we would like to know about it as well." Young said that anyone wishing to contribute money or volunteer service should call either (973) 579-1600 or visit the county chapter's website at www.sussexredcross.org.