Read Flooding Tips from the Red Cross

The American Red Cross has been assisting victims of the recent flooding that has occurred throughout the Northeast, providing emergency assistance to thousands.

The mission of the American Red Cross is to provide immediate relief to disaster victims as needed after the disaster has occurred. Red Cross disaster relief focuses on meeting people’s immediate emergency disaster-caused needs. When a disaster threatens or strikes, the Red Cross provides safe shelter, food, clothing, health and mental health services to address those immediate needs. Red Cross services also expand to helping emergency workers.

In addition to immediate services, Red Cross response also includes needed referrals, small material resources and financial assistance. Typical support provides vouchers for families to purchase personal items such as groceries, new clothing, essential small household items, and medicines. All assistance is based on verified disaster-caused needs.

American Red Cross Disaster relief is designed to provide for immediate short-term needs until other resources become available. This aid is given to individuals and families to enable them to resume their normal daily activities as quickly as possible to get them back to normalcy – or until further long-term assistance becomes available.

Our responsibility is to make sure that people stay safe during the immediate aftermath of a disaster so those victims can begin the daunting task of rebuilding their lives. When disaster strikes, you can count on a dedicated Red Cross volunteer to lend a friendly ear and help provide hope to those who may have been devastated by disaster.

It is also important to understand that the American Red Cross is not a first responding agency. That is, the Red Cross does not evacuate people from their homes, or engage in any rescuing activities. Additionally, the Red Cross must be asked to provide assistance by a first responding agency such as the fire department before we can provide any assistance.

The Cortland County Chapter of the American Red Cross is one of almost 900 Red Cross Chapters in the United States, who with staff and volunteers work 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide emergency relief to victims of disasters each year. In addition, the American Red Cross is part of a larger global network of Red Cross societies who work to support disaster victims around the world.

The American Red Cross is a truly place where neighbors help their neighbors—around the world, across the country and across the world in emergencies. Each year, in communities large and small, victims of some 70,000 disasters turn to neighbors familiar and new—the nearly 1 million volunteers and 35,000 employees of the Red Cross. Through health and safety education, more than 15 million people gain the skills they need to prepare for and respond to emergencies in their homes, communities and world. Some 4 million people give blood—the gift of life—through the Red Cross, making it the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. In addition, the Red Cross helps thousands of U.S. service members separated from their families by military duty stay connected.

An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money and blood to do its work. The American Red Cross functions independently of the government but works closely with government agencies, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), during times of major crises. It is also responsible for giving aid to members of the U.S. Armed Forces and to disaster victims at home and abroad.

Your help is urgently needed! All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help victims of this disaster and other disasters by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. To make a contribution, contact the American Red Cross today. Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.

The Cortland County Chapter of the American Red Cross is located at 111 Port Watson Street in Cortland, on the second floor of the Cortland Community Services Building located directly across from Hess Express. Or, call (607) 753-1182.

Thank you for your continued support of the American Red Cross!