American Red Cross International Disaster Relief Fund
Your Help is Needed
The Disaster Relief Fund is the lifeline that allows us to serve disaster victims anywhere, anytime. It provides funding for food, shelter, counseling and other assistance as well as the vehicles, warehouses, call centers, and people that make that relief possible.
On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, a large-scale earthquake hit the nation of Haiti . The 52 aftershocks that occurred for the following days were felt around the world. Millions of people were affected by this natural disaster, including over a million of people who are still homeless. International disaster relief organizations have traveled to this small costal nation in hopes of assisting the Haitian people. One of these many organizations is the International Committee of the Red Cross, the brother organization to the American Red Cross.
The American Red Cross has raised $396 million for the Haiti relief and development efforts. In less than three months, we have already spent or allocated more than one-fourth of the total ($106.4 million) to meet the immediate needs of hundreds of thousands of survivors.
The American Red Cross expects to spend a total of approximately $200 million for emergency relief, such as the provision of emergency food, tarps, tents, relief supplies, financial assistance programs and the initial transitional shelters – mostly in the 12 months following the earthquake.
The American Red Cross relief and recovery plan is part of a broader coordinated effort with other Red Cross societies from around the world, as well as with other international aid groups. A recent preliminary assessment by the United Nations and World Bank estimated that it will cost $11.5 billion over three years to rebuild Haiti , an amount and responsibility that is far more than any single organization can manage alone.
How You Can Help
Click here to make a donation or by visiting www.redcross.org or calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Spanish speakers can call 1-800-257-7575. You can also use your cell phone to donate $5 by text messaging the keyword “GIVE” to “2HELP” (24357). You can send multiple donations depending on your carrier. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster, you should call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767).
You can help the victims of countless crises, like the recent earthquake in Haiti, around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster, please do so at the time of your donation by mailing your donation with the designation to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013 or to our local American Red Cross chapter at 724 South George Street, York, Pa 17403.. Donations to the International Response Fund can be made by phone at 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish) or online at www.redcross.org.