The American Red Cross, through its strong network of volunteers, donors, and partners, is always there in times of need. They spire to turn compassion into action so that all people affected by disasters across the country and around the world receive care, shelter, and hope; As stated in their vision statement, whether it is a large-scale disaster or a single-family home fire, the Red Cross remains committed to these invaluable commodities.
This past week, basic necessities, such as food, clean water, safe shelter, and even electricity have all been threatened. The Red Cross has mobilized hundreds of volunteers, and tens of thousands of supplies, and worked with our network of compassionate partners to alleviate human suffering at its source.
Care: The Red Cross is now at Level 3 Operations in all three Texas regions (North Texas, Central and South Texas, and Texas Gulf Coast).
One-fourth of the state remains without clean water (7 million residents are under boil orders or have their water supplies completely shut off). Over 800,000 Americans are currently without power this morning.
Shelter: Overnight, over 2,000 clients sought shelter in 159 open shelters (both Red Cross-managed and partner-run) across six states. Additionally, 490 clients were sheltered in non-congregate lodging options, many as a result of multi-family fires that have occurred over the past week. On Wednesday night, nearly 1,200 people sought refuge in partner-run and independent warming centers in the North Texas Region alone.
Hope: Emotional strain is an uncalculated causality during a disaster. Households are left without basic needs, leaving them feeling helpless. At a moment’s notice, the Red Cross is there to ensure households know they are not alone. With the help of our network of compassionate partners, ensuring families have safe shelter, the ability to feed themselves and meet other urgent needs. It is through this work that we can hand dignity back to a client in their greatest time of need. Presence is our mission. Over 730 compassionate and trained volunteers are currently deployed to disaster relief operations across the country, with almost 200 boots on the ground. To date, the Red Cross has distributed thousands of emergency supplies and comfort kits to households in need. To see what these items look like, please watch this volunteer-led video from the Central and South Texas Region.
It has been so encouraging to see Texans rallying to help each other through the winter storm and the list of nonprofits aiming to distribute resources getting longer. The American Red Cross now faces a critical challenge to cover the huge costs of the winter storm as they help to meet the outstanding food and shelter needs for so many Texans. If you are wondering how to help, thank you for considering a donation to this trusted organization.
Donate: redcross.org/donate/donation.html/
Donate: redcross.org/donate/donation.html/
