NEWS FROM THE FIELD—Chris Johnson, CEO of the American Red Cross of Ventura County, gives an update on the relief effort in Haiti at the county’s Red Cross headquarters on Feb. 24.
Although local donors have contributed more than $1 million to Haiti relief through the Ventura County chapter of the American Red Cross, agency officials asked residents recently to remember the continuing need at home.
March is American Red Cross month, and county chapter CEO Chris Johnson said that while record donations have come in for Haiti, money for local emergency response is down about one-third, or $300,000.
Johnson said he’s confident that when county residents are made aware of the decline they will respond.
“I . . . think given the generosity of Ventura County, if we go out there and ask,” people will donate, he said at a Feb. 24 press conference.
On Jan. 12, earthquakes as strong as magnitude 7 devastated the Haitian capital of Port-auPrince. More than 200,000 people died; 300,000 were injured and 1 million left homeless.
Johnson said that due to international efforts nearly 9,000 metric tons of relief items have been delivered to Port-au-Prince. More than one month later the most urgent needs remain sanitation and shelter, he said.
In Port-au-Prince, Red Cross volunteers have taken on the task of burying the dead. To stave off the spread of disease, Red Cross and other volunteers have vaccinated 20,000 Haitians. About 64,000 families, or 320,000 people, receive three meals a day from the American Red Cross and other relief agencies. As in any disaster, the agency is working to restore family ties disrupted by the quake. Through a database, the agency tries to connect people in the U.S. with friends and family in Haiti and vice versa. Eight hospitals staffed with international medical teams from various organizations are operational.
So far more than $1 billion has been raised through various organizations around the globe to help Haiti. Johnson said it’s likely to take $3 billion to get the island nation up and running. The American Red Cross is committed to helping Haiti recover, he said.
But here at home, the Red Cross, like other charities, is seeing a significant drop in donations, Johnson said. The agency does not receive government dollars but relies entirely on donations to operate. It takes $1.87 million a year to run the Ventura County chapter, he said.
Kara Partridge Ralston, board of directors’ chair, called the flood of support “heartwarming and reassuring” that should a disaster of that magnitude hit here, people would likely respond in a similar way. But that requires every county resident to participate, she said.
Despite the deficit, Johnson said the agency will keep its commitment to “always be there” to provide the essentials for disaster victims. But the drop in funds could mean the agency must slash programs and operate with a smaller staff, he said.
The American Red Cross may be best known for providing shelter and food when a natural disaster strikes.
Less publicized are the agency’s efforts to provide similar services for local residents displaced by a house fire.
The agency’s expenses also include training its hundreds of volunteers and offering first aid and CPR classes to the public.
Other ongoing activities include welcome home receptions for returning military troops and their families.
To donate to the American Red Cross, visit the website www.arcventura.org or call (805) 987-1514 for more information.
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