With the recent catastrophic weather events, Harvey, Irma and the devastating Western fires, many people start questioning if donations are being used properly and really going to those that need them most. We at Green thought it would take this opportunity to discuss why it chose to partner with the American Red Cross and why we feel that it is a great organization to stand behind.
The American Red Cross shelters feed and provide emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. Because of its far reach and impact globally, Green has chosen to be its partner.
As of September 13, 2017, there were roughly 6,000 American Red Cross volunteers on the ground in 13 states and U.S. territories whose sole purpose is to help their neighbors. Whether it is setting up a shelter, making meals for hungry firefighters, lending a shoulder to cry on or evacuating people to safety, the number one mission of the Red Cross is to “prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and generosity of donors.”
BY THE STATS
22,000 people were provided refuge from Hurricane Irma in nearly 200 government and Red Cross evacuation centers across 6 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• In Florida, more than 19,000 people in 138 evacuation centers;
• In Georgia, more than 1,470 people in 18 evacuation centers;
• In Alabama, about 1,100 people in 14 evacuation centers;
• In South Carolina, about 3 people remain in evacuation centers;
• On the U.S. Virgin Islands, 181 people in 5 evacuation centers;
• In Puerto Rico, 184 people in 4 evacuation centers;
• In Tennessee, 103 people in 7 evacuation centers; and
• In North Carolina, 30 people in 5 evacuation centers.
In addition, they have served more than 154,000 meals and snacks to date. Mental health and health services professionals have provided more than 10,500 contacts to those affected.
Thanks to generous donors, the Red Cross is providing financial assistance to Texas households that were severely impacted by Harvey and need help taking care of emergency needs.
On September 11, they provided $45 million in financial assistance to more than 100,000 qualified households who needed immediate help and is prepared to provide financial assistance to hundreds of thousands more. The Red Cross is a charity, not a government agency, and people do not need to be American citizens to receive assistance.
Financial assistance is in addition to the other emergency relief efforts the Red Cross is providing in Texas, which includes shelter, food and other critical immediate support. To date, there have been a total of over 369,000 overnight stays in response to Harvey.
Like many companies, Green Worldwide did its due diligence. Charity Navigator and Charity Watch are two independent organizations that review all charities on various merits (i.e. financial, accountability, transparency…). Both organizations have given the Red Cross a high B rating, advising that a good charity should never have more than 20% spent on overhead and expenses. The great news is that Red Cross only spends 11% on overhead and the other 89% goes directly to programs.
We are proud to support the American Red Cross as one of our community partners.
AUTHOR
Cara Cassavoy
Human Resource Specialist
