Response – Gold Country News and Notes

Red Cross Responded to 176 Large U.S. Disasters in 2015

At home and around the world, the Red Cross reached out to help those in need.

Friday, December 18, 2015 (Sacramento, CA) — In an unusually busy year, the American Red Cross helped hundreds of thousands of people impacted by disasters in 2015, both here at home and around the globe. Red Cross disaster workers responded to 176 large U.S. disasters – more than each of the past three years.

The cost of just the four largest of these disasters is more than $30 million – this includes flooding in Texas and South Carolina, wildfires in California and Typhoon Soudelor, which battered the island of Saipan in August; (Saipan is part of the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific).

Here in the Gold Country Region, the Red Cross launched relief operations after more than eleven major wildfires stuck our region including the Hayfork Complex fires, the Wragg fire, Rocky fire, Lowell fire and of course the Butte and Valley fires which are considered the top ten most destructive wildfires in state’s history. Volunteers from across the country deployed to the area and helped to provide emergency essentials such as food, shelter, health services and emotional support for hundreds of people who lost everything.

“These disaster affected many people’s lives here in the Gold Country Region,” said Robin Friedman, Regional Disaster Manager. “Red Cross workers from both here at home and across the country worked tirelessly to make sure people had a safe place to stay, food to eat, and help planning their next steps.”

131003-Year-End-Graphics_1024x512_FINAL-US Across the country, the Red Cross provided more than 34,000 overnight shelter stays to people forced from their homes because of disasters, served more than 1.1 million meals and snacks and distributed more than 800,000 relief items this year (as of December 8). Red Cross caseworkers provided recovery support to more than 19,000 households, and health and mental health workers provided more than 65,000 consultations after disasters.

As part of the world’s largest humanitarian network, the American Red Cross also worked alongside other Red Cross and Red Crescent societies to support families in Nepal after the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake there in April. Across the world, the Red Cross continues to address the needs of displaced families from Burundi, people facing food insecurity in Senegal, and is assisting with the ongoing migration crisis in Europe.

Flooding, Wildfires Devastated Communities Across U.S.

In May and June, the Red Cross responded across multiple states to help people impacted by flooding and wildfires. Residents of Texas, Alaska, California, Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, Oklahoma and Illinois turned to the Red Cross for help. In July and August, the Red Cross responded as raging wildfires burned out of control in Washington and California. In September, Red Cross workers helped after several massive fires in California destroyed hundreds of homes, forcing thousands of people to evacuate. As the Red Cross continued to assist people in California, catastrophic flooding hit South Carolina in early October and again, hundreds of Red Cross disaster workers responded. Then in early November, Texas was hit by a second round of relentless storms and floods just months after flash flooding wreaked havoc on much of the state in May. The Red Cross opened numerous shelters, provided food, health and mental health services and helped people plan their next steps.

Home Fires Continued to be Largest U.S. Disaster Threat

Amidst all of these devastating events, home fires continued to be the largest disaster threat in the United States. During 2015, the Red Cross provided casework assistance to help 214,000 people whose lives were affected by a home fire. The Red Cross also helped prevent home fires and related injuries and deaths by working with thousands of local partners across the country to install 195,000 smoke alarms and teach 268,000 youth about fire safety.

Here in the Gold Country Region, the Red Cross responded to 439 home fires, and installed 1,684 smoke alarms with the help of community partners.

Nepal Earthquake and Migration Crisis
In late April, a devastating earthquake hit Nepal, causing significant destruction and loss of life. Working with Red Cross and Red Crescent societies from 33 countries, the American Red Cross helped provide 4.6 million liters of clean water and 70,000 cash grants to support 350,000 people. Cash grants empower families to buy the items they deem most urgent in their time of greatest need.

Currently, families are searching for safety across the Middle East and Europe and the global Red Cross network is providing vital humanitarian assistance to those in need. More than 49,000 Red Cross volunteers are helping tens of thousands of migrants and refugees in 28 countries throughout Europe, providing help such as food, water, healthcare, hygiene kits, baby supplies, clothing and first aid kits.. The American Red Cross deployed eight disaster specialists to support the effort, along with 10,000 cots to help families in Germany.

HOW YOU CAN HELP The Red Cross depends on the generous support of the American public to assist people affected by disasters. If you would like to help, please consider making a donation today by visiting http://www.redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to your local Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

Debbie Calcotte Recognized – Butte Fire Response and Recovery

excellence Many Red Cross staff and volunteers have contributed so much to the #ButteFire response this summer; however, one staffer is being honored by local government in a very public way.

Debbie Calcote as well as several #RedCross volunteers and FEMA Vals were acknowledge last week during a FEMA briefing, which was also published on the Calaveras Enterprise.

“I can not say enough about how much heart, passion, and dedication Debbie has to the Red Cross mission,” said Tracy McBrook, American Red Cross Disaster State Relations Director.

We are so very proud of you Debbie and the work you and your volunteer teams have done to serve those affected by the Butte Fire.

Presence is a mission and this is certainly evidence of that!

Three Years After Hurricane Sandy: Red Cross Successes and Progress

WASHINGTON, D.C. — (Thursday, October 29, 2015) — In the three years since Hurricane Sandy unleashed massive destruction along the Atlantic coast, the American Red Cross is still on the ground, having used $313 million in donations to help thousands of people recover and rebuild from the devastation of the storm.

“Hurricane Sandy was a major storm, affecting thousands of families, homes and businesses. Recovery from such a tremendous storm requires continued coordination, involvement, and commitment of many organizations. For the past three years, the Red Cross is proud to have worked alongside government and community-based partners to provide assistance to those who needed it most,” said Richard Reed, American Red Cross senior vice president, disaster cycle services.

“For so many of these people, the Red Cross has been part of the answer to helping them recover by providing financial assistance with housing-related expenses, recovery case management services, and grants to support services in the hardest hit areas.”

Hurricane Sandy Third Anniversary – Red Cross Facts:

1. Spending: The Red Cross has spent or made commitments to spend $313 million in support of our Sandy response efforts; an additional $1 million will be spent on Sandy programs in 2016. Details on how donations have been spent are available atredcross.org/sandy.

2. Emergency Relief: Before Sandy made landfall in October 2012, the Red Cross mobilized a massive emergency response effort that was ultimately supported by more than 17,000 workers from all over the country – 90 percent of them volunteers. Working with community partners, the Red Cross served more than 17.5 million meals and snacks and handed out more than 7 million relief items such as blankets, gloves, warm clothing, and home clean-up supplies. Red Crossers offered 113,000 health services and emotional support contacts and provided nearly half of the 163,000 overnight shelter stays for Sandy.

3. Recovery Support: The Red Cross has provided one-on-one assistance through casework to help thousands of families heal, rebuild and recover. The Move-In Assistance Program provided financial assistance to those whose primary homes were destroyed or made uninhabitable and who lacked the resources to relocate or make repairs. From 2012 through early 2015, this program provided more than $32.3 million to more than 5,100 households. The Red Cross has also worked closely with hundreds of partners and government agencies to make sure people have the support they need. For example, working with local residents and community organizations, the Red Cross helped start and support Long-Term Recovery Groups to address the disaster needs of storm-affected households. These groups continue to help people today in the hardest-hit areas.

4. Partnerships: The Red Cross awarded $95.2 million in funding to support critical recovery services in Sandy-devastated communities in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. This funding has supported the repair and rebuilding of more than 7,500 homes; the training, housing and deployment of more than 230,000 volunteers; and casework, mental health and health services, financial assistance and financial and legal counseling to more than 120,000 households. This month, the Red Cross is awarding $750,000 to four organizations to help them continue to provide financial assistance to Sandy survivors; these organizations are based in New York City, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut. A full list of grants is available at redcross.org/sandy.

“This robust recovery effort was made possible because of the generosity of people who were moved to help after seeing heartbreaking images of devastation on the news, or reading stories of Sandy survivors who lost everything,” added Reed. “We are grateful that Americans entrusted the Red Cross with their financial donations and we have stretched these dollars to provide meaningful and lasting support to thousands of families and individuals.”

Facts about the Red Cross Response in Haiti

Many of you have been calling, emailing or sending messages via social media regarding an article that was published by ProPublica about our relief efforts in Haiti..

First of all, we want to thank all of you for your generosity! Almost five and a half years after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, the American Red Cross continues to make a difference in the lives of millions of Haitians who desperately needed help and humanitarian assistance.

With the fund, the American Red Cross has helped build and operate eight hospitals and clinics, stem a deadly cholera outbreak, provide clean water and sanitation, and move more than 100,000 people out of make-shift tents into safe and improved housing. When land was not available for new homes, the Red Cross provided a range of housing solutions including rental subsidies, repairs and retrofitting of existing structures, fulfilling our promise to ensure tens of thousands of Haitians are back in homes. We also built and repaired schools, roadways and water distribution points vital to neighborhoods.

Despite the most challenging conditions, including changes in government, lack of land for housing, and civil unrest, our hardworking staff—90 percent of whom are Haitians—continue to work to meet the long-term needs of the Haitian people. While the pace of progress is never as fast as we would like, Haiti is better off today than it was five years ago.

The Red Cross is disappointed to see our work has been misrepresented in some media so please learn the facts about our recovery program in Haiti and to hear from those we have helped and continue to help, please visit www.redcross.org/haiti. Also, be sure to read “The Real Story of the 6 Homes in Haiti: Answering Your Questions”, this piece was written by David Meltzer, Chief International Officer of the American Red Cross. He has traveled to Haiti more than 20 times—both before and after the earthquake— including in the days after the disaster struck.

While the Red Cross has fulfilled our promise to make sure tens of thousands of Haitians are back in homes. There is still much to do.

For 134 years, the American Red Cross has been there to help people in need; and we will still be there for the next disaster or emergency to help people here in the Gold Country Region and in other areas around the world.

Thank you for your ongoing support of your American Red Cross Gold Country Region.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Weis
CEO
American Red Cross Gold Country Region

The following 13 Facts about the Red Cross Response in Haiti addresses the numerous inaccuracies in recent media reports.

Myth: The American Red Cross never had a final plan for its work in Haiti.

Fact:
The Red Cross began our long term planning shortly after the earthquake. Within the first year we had a working plan that established six strategic priorities and added a seventh:

1. Emergency relief

2. Shelter

3. Health

4. Water and sanitation

5. Livelihoods

6. Disaster preparedness

7. Cholera prevention

Haiti is a complex place to work and because of that we needed to adjust and improve the plan to address the changing environment and challenges.

Example: When we could not secure land to provide new housing, we focused on safe housing with a wide spectrum of choices, not a one-size-fits all plan (rental subsidies, repairs and retrofitting of existing homes, as well as teaching people how to repair their homes).

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Myth: Internal issues delayed services.

• Staff turnover

• Lack of planning

• Poor relationships withpartners

Fact: False.

• We have worked effectively, leveraging the capacity and specific skillsets of 47 partners to extend our reach and serve a spectrum of needs simultaneously.

• Staff turnover was relatively low and, as we understand, consistent with other NGOs in Haiti.

• The Red Cross continuously responded to changing circumstances by adapting our plan and remaining responsive to emerging and evolving needs.

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Myth: Red Cross service delivery statistics are misleading.

Fact:
• 4.5 million people have been helped through our disease prevention programs.

That’s the most conservative estimate of people assisted.

• Many who received help through disease prevention programs also benefited from multiple Red Cross services such as housing, job training, and access to clean water, but we only count them once.

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Myth: Details of Red Cross spending are so broad as to be useless.

Fact:
The Red Cross reports annually how we spend donor dollars on our website and break it down according to sector. We raised $488 million for our work in Haiti and here is how our spent and committed funds have been allocated:

• Emergency relief: $66 million

• Shelter: $173 million

• Health: $73 million

• Water and sanitation: $47 million

• Livelihoods: $48 million

• Disaster preparedness: $56 million

• Cholera prevention: $25 million

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Myth: The Red Cross takes overhead, then grants money to partners who also take overhead.

Fact:•
91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends goes to our humanitarian programs and services.

• We partner with organizations that also keep their expenses low.

• It is more cost effective to rely on the expertise of partners than if we tried to build and staff these programs from scratch.

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Myth: The Red Cross gave donor dollars to the U.S. government.

Fact:
It is rare that we would grant money to a government agency, but in this case we pooled funds with the U.S. Agency for International Development – which assesses no overhead – each bringing our expertise and strengths to the project.

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Myth: The Red Cross president promised to provide tens of thousands of people with permanent homes but only built six new homes.

Fact:
• The Red Cross has provided more than 132,000 people with safe and durable housing, through a variety of methods.

• Often, the fastest and most efficient way to get people into safer homes is through rental subsidies, or repairs and/or retrofitting of existing homes.

• We also build and repair infrastructure that is vital to neighborhood recovery – like schools, roadways and water distribution points.

• The bottom line is that there hasn’t been sufficient land available to build new homes – particularly in the most heavily affected areas of Port-au-Prince where people want to live.

• Haitians don’t want to leave the neighborhoods where they lived, worked and went to school before the earthquake.

• Red Cross has fulfilled our promise to make sure tens of thousands of Haitians are back in homes.

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Myth: The Red Cross calls temporary, or t-shelters, permanent homes.

Fact:
False.

In no place has the Red Cross called a t-shelter a permanent home. We consistently refer to the range of housing solutions that the Red Cross has offered in Haiti to provide people safe housing.

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Myth: The cholera program had severe delays getting off the ground, despite Gail McGovern’s statement that Red Cross “sprang into action.”

Fact:
False.

• Within 72 hours of the announcement of the cholera outbreak, teams of Haitian Red Cross volunteers were providing cholera prevention training in camps and staff members were sent to the epicenter of the epidemic to help respond.

• Within five days, tens of thousands of pounds of cholera relief supplies were airlifted.

• We have also provided most of the funding for a first-ever cholera vaccine in Haiti, and $47 million for projects to provide clean water.

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Myth: The Red Cross didn’t hire enough Haitians on staff, relying heavily on expensive “expat” staff.

Fact:
Wrong.

• Since the beginning of our earthquake recovery program, more than 90 percent of our staff has been Haitian.

• Red Cross does not tolerate prejudice of any kind and took steps to train people in cultural sensitivity.

• The American Red Cross has hired some international staff with expertise in major disaster recovery and their benefit package is in line with the international humanitarian sector.

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Myth: The Red Cross misled residents of LAMIKA by not telling them how much money would be spent there and not fulfilling promises of new homes.

Fact:
• We worked very closely with community residents in LAMIKA to keep them informed of plans and budgets, and got their input to decide how to spend funds in their neighborhoods.

• We initially budgeted for 700 houses to be repaired, retrofitted or built, but we adapted and responded to the fact that clear title to land in the LAMIKA community could ultimately not be obtained.

• Additionally, residents gave a higher priority to other needs such as roads and pathways, jobs, schools, etc., so we invested in shared community assets such as road, sidewalk, drainage and school construction.

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Myth: Sources in the Red Cross say that 24 cents of every dollar donated for international programs goes to overhead – not 9 cents.

Fact:
As with every dollar the Red Cross spends, an average of 91 cents goes to our humanitarian programs and services and only 9 cents to management, general and fundraising.

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Myth: The Red Cross declined to show us projects in Haiti.

Fact:
• The Red Cross often arranges interviews for U.S. based media when they are visiting Haiti.

• Other media outlets routinely provide us with several days of notice before visiting because they understand that our staff members have to stop their work to accommodate journalists.

• We denied the request of ProPublica and NPR after they showed up in Haiti without making arrangements ahead of time.