July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.

Red Cross: Thanks for help

Editor's Mailbag

By To the editor:-

Every New Year provides new experiences, opportunities and challenges. Early this January, the combination of heavy rain and freezing temperatures provided your Hoosier Heartland Chapter of the American Red Cross with both a serious challenge and a great opportunity to help the residents of East Central Indiana.

More than 148,000 homes in our community were affected by the severe weather that began Jan. 5, 2005. Thousands of people lost electrical power and were displaced due to heavy damage to their homes. Seniors and those needing special physical care were placed in danger of severe health repurcussions. Fortunately these individuals were not alone.

Red Cross staff and hundreds of volunteers sprang into action, immediately responding to hundreds of phone calls requesting assistance and providing the esstential needs of food, shelter and mental health services. Eleven shelter and evacuation centers opened to house the nearly 1,400 men, women and children who needed emergency lodging. More than 20,000 meals and snacks to sustain both shelter residents and those who lost their food due to the power outage.

All told, resonding to this year’s crisis cost the Red Cross an estimated $180,000. This sum was incurred even though 98 percent of the work done was on a voluntary basis.

Shelter residents responded gratefully to the services provided to them without charge. One resident wrote, “I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for having a warm place for me during this time. Your kindness, generosity and all your help was so appreciated. You will always be remembered in my heart.”

Thank you for your support during the 2005 ice storm. Thanks to your generosity and the generosity of others like you, we were able to provide for the immediate needs of food and shelter for the residents of East Central Indiana during this crisis.

With enthusiasm and gratitude,

Gina Godsey Bradburn,

executive director, and

Brian K. Fern, director of

community support,

Hoosier Heartland

Chapter of The

American Red Cross[[In-content Ad]]
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