Press

St. Louis, Wednesday, November 9, 2005 – The disaster caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita is unprecedented in Red Cross history, in terms of the number of people affected, the extent of the area impacted and the scope of the destruction. Katrina alone impacted 15 times the number of families needing assistance after all four hurricanes in 2004. And Rita, which mercifully did not live up to the worst projections, was still bigger than any one of those 2004 hurricanes.

The constant and consistent role of the Red Cross is to provide a safe place for people to stay and to see that their emergency needs are met.

Local Relief Efforts through the St. Louis Area Chapter:

EVACUEES IN ST. LOUIS: Beginning on Wednesday, August 31, St. Louis Area Chapter disaster services opened two Service Center operations, one at Corporate Square and one in Metro East. Caseworkers have met with 5,722 people (2,440 families) who made their way to St. Louis from areas affected by Katrina and Rita; Red Cross is providing emergency food, shelter, clothing, prescription medication, mental health counseling, and more based upon the needs of the family. Direct aid disbursed through the St. Louis Area Chapter totals $1.66 million to date. Nearly all evacuees have come to St. Louis because they have family and friends in the area. Red Cross is working with United Way of Greater St. Louis and local agencies to bridge from emergency needs to fulfillment of longer term needs.

VOLUNTEERS: Inspired to help those affected by Katrina’s devastating impact, over 4,000 new volunteers have been processed and offered training through the St. Louis Area Chapter. Expanded volunteer training opportunities began Wednesday, September 28, with 617 people registered for the classes. More than 449 new volunteers have already attended orientation.

VOLUNTEERS IN AFFECTED AREAS: The St. Louis Area Chapter has sent 50 highly trained disaster volunteers and staff to the affected areas along the Gulf Coast; more than 300 trained disaster volunteers are on stand-by for deployment as needed. Each volunteer serves a 10 day to 3 week assignment. Chapter CEO Joe White served on a 2-week assignment to Baton Rouge as Organizational Administrator for Red Cross Disaster Relief Headquarters for Louisiana.

PHONE BANK: Opened Tuesday, August 30, our toll-free phone bank was open for 18 days, staffed by nearly 200 people and serving over 8,200 callers. While many calls were from those who offered help (volunteer, donate, give blood), 13 percent of calls were from evacuees seeking help. While the phone bank has been deactivated, the toll free number remains active and is forwarded to and handled by our front office team.

ON-LINE ACTIVITY: Over 70,000 unique visitors visited the St. Louis Area Chapter web site, with over 3.1 million hits in the first 7 weeks. Through the Chapter web site, over 2,600 people submitted Volunteer Applications; more than 2,150 people made on-line donations, totaling $267,000.

DONATIONS: Through the generosity of individuals, community groups, corporations and foundations, the St. Louis Area Chapter has received over $13 million in contributions and pledges for hurricane relief efforts. While always thankful for all donations to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina, Red Cross is encouraging the community to also give to the United Way, which supports many local organizations involved in the hurricane relief efforts.

QUICK REFERENCE: Red Cross contact information for the St. Louis area:

• For all inquiries—314.516.2800 or www.redcrossstl.org.