American Red Cross Issues Six-Month Progress Report On How Help Continues After Sandy

WASHINGTON, April 25, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross today issued a six-month progress report on its work to help people affected by Superstorm Sandy.

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"In the six months since Sandy devastated homes, communities and families in New York and New Jersey, signs of progress and hope can be seen throughout the region," said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the Red Cross. "Recovery from this storm will be a marathon, not a sprint, but I am encouraged by the determination of the people I meet, and Red Cross will be there every day to help them thanks to the generosity of the American public." 

SIX MONTHS OF HELPING In the days after the storm came ashore, the Red Cross was able to immediately launch a large-scale emergency relief effort – the largest U.S. disaster response by the Red Cross in more than five years. After weeks of providing emergency relief, the Red Cross has a long-term recovery operation underway today. At the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other government partners, the Red Cross is working with about 9,000 families whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged.

The Red Cross is helping these families find new places to live, clean mold from their water-logged homes, get emotional support during their struggle and financial support as they work to put their lives back together. Trained Red Cross workers are meeting one-on-one with people to help provide assistance with home repairs, rent, utility deposits and available social service programs.

GRANT PROGRAMS The Red Cross is also giving grant money to other non-profit groups to support the help they are providing to those affected by Sandy. This includes giving nearly $6 million in grants to three food banks in New York to help ensure people continue to get the food they need. A grant of $500,000 has been given to Operation Hope to provide assistance and financial counseling to survivors. Another $5 million has gone to a mold remediation program to help New York residents clean up their homes.

RED CROSS RELIEF In these past six months more than 17,000 Red Cross disaster workers – about 90 percent of them volunteers - have responded to help those affected by Sandy. The Red Cross has:

• Served more than 17 million meals and snacks
• Distributed more than 7 million relief items such as cold weather items and clean-up supplies
• Provided almost 113,000 health services and emotional support contacts for people living in very tough conditions
• Provided more than 81,000 shelter stays.

Approximately $302 million was donated to the Red Cross as of April 18 to help those affected by Sandy, and the Red Cross has spent or made commitments to spend about $192 million, which is nearly two-thirds of the contributions to date.

"We want to spend the money people donated for Sandy quickly, but more importantly, we want to spend it wisely," McGovern said. "It's important to make sure some money is available for needs no one can predict right now. However long it takes, we are committed that money donated for Sandy will be used to help individuals and communities affected by this storm."

The six-month report and other information on the Red Cross Sandy relief and recovery efforts can be found at www.redcross.org/sandy-response.       

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides 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. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

SOURCE American Red Cross