and by here we mean everywhere.
We’ve recently received a bunch of comments on Facebook, via email, and here from people concerned that we’re paying too much attention to Haiti and not enough to domestic preparedness and relief.
Short answer: We have the capacity to fulfill our mission on all fronts simultaneously. Providing services in Haiti in no way takes any money or resources away from providing services in Fargo or from families whose homes have been destroyed in a fire.
When you give to the Red Cross you have a choice about where your money goes. We are very careful to honor your intent. So, we use money people have given to Haiti specifically for relief in Haiti. We use money people have given to the International Response Fund to respond to international emergencies. We use money given to the Disaster Relief Fund for domestic emergencies. You get the drift.
We try to share info with you what you want to see each day. In fact we try to do 3 things here:
- get you talking about issues that affect our mission
- give you action items (online and offline)
- provide mission critical public information
If we told you about everything we’re up to on a single day, you’d be so overwhelmed we might have to give you CPR.
Because we do so much every day we have to carefully choose what to share with you based on your interests. Please continue to give us feedback. Let us know the kinds of information you’re looking for – we’re here to help you and to make you happy. Seriously.
Here’s a snapshot of what we’re up to on any given day:
- Every single day we help about 185 families who have been affected by a disaster (home fires are #1).
- Every single day we provide urgent disaster care to about 14,000 people outside the United States via International Services
- Every single day we connect about 422 military families via Service to Armed Forces
- Every single day about 21,000 people receive blood from a Red Cross donor via Biomedical Services
- Every single day about 41,000 people receive Preparedness, Health and Safety Services training that can help save a life (CPR, first aid, lifeguarding, babysitting, etc)
So please continue to ask us questions and give us advice. This is your blog and this is your organization.