The first week of October brought historic floods to the coastal areas of South Carolina, including the cities of Charleston and our hometown, Columbia. The devastation and destruction from the high waters was widespread. Thousands of homes were directly affected by this disaster. As many as eight counties have qualified for federal emergency assistance. While the cleanup process has come a long way, there is still much work to be done. Our staff at Bart Fireside has been amazed at the efforts of the American Red Cross in our state, and we are very grateful to this organization for the work that has been done. We would like to tell you more about what the Red Cross has done in our area and how you can donate to this organization to keep this work going.
HOW THE RED CROSS HAS HELPED
Almost 800 workers for the Red Cross have been working in the affected areas. They have set up 15 shelters across the region to provide temporary housing, food, water, and other relief supplies. These Red Cross workers have helped to direct more than 50 emergency response vehicles to give food and relief supplies to those affected by the flood. The Red Cross has worked with communities across South Carolina to serve more than 81,000 meals, give out over 42,000 relief items, and provide health and mental health services to over 2,000 people. A local Columbia woman, Eva Gadsen, who had volunteered for the Red Cross 10 years ago during the recovery in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, said, “If it wasn’t for Red Cross, I really don’t know what would happen here.”
HOW YOU CAN HELP
A non-profit organization, the Red Cross depends largely on donations from the public to help people who have been affected by these types of disasters. These donations are used to prepare for, respond to, and help residents recover from all types of disasters. When many people think of donating to the Red Cross, they think of donating blood, and for good reason as this organization supplies around 40 percent of the country’s blood. However, you can donate money as well that will go to these relief and recovery efforts. You can donate to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund by going to their website, redcross.org and by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS. You can even make a $10 donation by texting “REDCROSS” to 90999. No matter what amount you have to give, the Red Cross and the victims of disasters across the country will appreciate your donation.
For more information on how you can help the flood recovery efforts in South Carolina, contact us at Bart Fireside. We are happy to tell you how you can provide assistance to those who have been affected by these historic floods.
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