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DISASTER RELIEF FUND
Every eight minutes, a disaster strikes in the United
States, destroying or limiting access to life's
necessities and often leaving families with little more
than the clothes on their backs. Thanks to the past
financial stability of the Disaster Relief Fund, the Red
Cross has always been there to provide emergency relief.
However, on September 17, the Red Cross announced that the
Disaster Relief Fund was empty because of a decrease in
financial support and an increase in "silent" disasters.
The cost of responding to a busy tornado season,
wildfires, hurricanes, and daily house fires has outpaced
incoming donations, which has caused the balance of the
Disaster Relief Fund to dwindle. From July 1, 2002 to
June 30, 2003, the organization spent $114.3 million while
taking in only $39.5 million.
Disaster Relief Fund Information:
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Every day,
the American Red Cross provides help to disaster victims
in local communities throughout the country - some are
disasters that receive extensive media attention, others
receive only a passing mention in the local paper
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The Disaster
Relief Fund, so essential to ensuring our prompt
consistent service, is at a dangerous 11-year low today,
putting it at one of its most critical levels in Red
Cross' 122-year history.
We've spent more to assist people during disasters this
year than what has been received in funding, and we're
relying on the public to help us help others in this
critical time. Over the past year, the Red Cross has
spent $144.3 million from the Disaster Relief Fund
responding to 3,300 disasters throughout the United
States and its territories. Donations, however, totaled
just $39.5 million
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The Disaster
Relief Fund is not a "reserve" fund. It is the money
that the Red Cross uses to send experienced disaster
workers and critical supplies (such as food, drinking
water, plastic sheeting, and cleaning supplies) to the
disaster site. It is this fund that allows the Red Cross
to begin its disaster response immediately
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The American
Red Cross receives no government funding for its
disaster relief services in the United States.
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The American
Red Cross role in disaster relief is unique. Unlike FEMA,
it does not wait for a disaster declaration to begin
providing services. Unlike other voluntary agencies, it
does not pick and choose the disasters it will respond
to. The American Red Cross is committed to meeting the
urgent disaster-caused needs of victims of all types of
disasters - from single-family house fires to major
natural and man-made disasters.
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If you would
like more information about how the Red Cross uses
disaster donations, please call the American Red Cross
of the Quad Cities Area at (309) 743-2166
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