ROCHESTER, N.Y., Tuesday, January 19, 2010 – More than $4,000 was donated overnight to the American Red Cross International Response Fund by Rochester area residents. The total raised to date is $354,825 and the donations are still coming in. Greater Rochester Red Cross volunteers are taking calls through 7 pm tonight and will answer phones again at 9 am tomorrow.
Donations to support the Haitian relief efforts will be directed specifically to medicine, water, mosquito nets, hygiene kits, hospital services, food, clothing and shelter. “I can’t say enough about the support that is pouring in from the Rochester community,” said John Buttrill, CEO of the Greater Rochester Red Cross.
The phone banks will be open from 9 am to 7 pm though this Wednesday for people to call in and make financial donations, which will go to help survivors of the earthquake in Haiti. After 7 p.m. donations can be accepted by calling 1-800-REDCROSS or by going to www.RochesterRedCross.org.
HOW TO HELP
• The American Red Cross is only accepting monetary donations.
• Call 585-241-4417 to make a credit card donation by phone
• Send a check payable to:
American Red Cross International Response Fund
P.O. Box 14390
Rochester, NY 14614-0390
• Text “HAITI” to 90999 and a $10 donation will be made to the American Red Cross International Response Fund for Haiti relief.
A Red Cross field hospital has been set up at Hospital Universitaire d’Haiti in downtown Port-au-Prince and another is expected to reach Haiti today. Each field hospital can provide surgical and medical care for up to 250,000, and each Basic Healthcare ERU can provide curative and preventive health care to up to 30,000 people.
The Red Cross is training and recruiting 40-100 Creole-speaking volunteers to work as translators on the USNS (United States Navy Ship) Comfort, where Haitians will be brought aboard for medical care. At the request of the U.S. military, American Red Cross Service to Armed Forces staff will provide supervisory support.
People trying to locate U.S. citizens living or traveling in Haiti should contact the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services, at 1-888-407-4747 or (202) 647-5225.
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is helping reconnect separated families in Haiti.
People in Haiti and outside the country can register the names of relatives missing since the earthquake at http://www.icrc.org/familylinks.
As of January 17, more than 22,000 people had registered with the ICRC's family linking website. Almost all of the registrations were from people searching for news about their relatives, although around 1,500 people have so far used the site to say they are safe and well.
PHOTOS
• For the latest newsworthy photos, the media may access the American Red Cross photo library by going to: http://media.redcross.org. The username is current and the password is redcross.
• Local Red Cross photos can be found on Flickr at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rochesterredcross
For more information please contact Nadine Krimow, Communications Manager at the Greater Rochester Red Cross at nadinek@grcarc.org or by calling 585-370-1834.
About the American Red Cross
You can help the victims of countless crises around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need. Donations to the International Response Fund can be sent to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013 or made by phone at 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish) or online at www.redcross.org.
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