Tomorrow is the one month anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti, and in those four weeks, the Red Cross has made a tremendous effort to help the Haitian people with their immediate needs: Food, water, and shelter. But what exactly does that mean?
Think about what you would need if your home and everything you owned were suddenly gone -- with no place to sleep, nothing to eat, and not even a change of underwear! Take a look as Tracy Reines, the Director of International Disaster Response for the American Red Cross, explains what items are currently being given out to Haitian families:
Your donations to the Red Cross make this possible. For example:
| $10 |
Provides a first aid kit equipped with enough ointment and bandages for a Red Cross responder to treat 15-20 injured people. |
| $30 |
Provides one month's worth of essential hygiene items for five people, including items like toothbrushes, shampoo, toilet paper and towels. |
| $100 |
Will furnish a family of five with a cooking set, hygiene pack, blankets and water containers |
| $500 |
Will provide a tent large enough for a family of five to use as a temporary shelter. |
It's been a long four weeks for the Haitian people, but they can get through terrible tragedies -- if we step up to help.
Katie Nagus is the communication coordinator for the St. Louis Area Chapter.