Two Years Later: Red Cross Remains in Haiti

By Catherine Carlton, volunteer, American Red Cross North Texas

Darline and her daughter work with the Red Cross to rebuild their lives after the Haiti earthquake.

Thanks to its donors and volunteers, the American Red Cross has helped more than 3.2 million people affected by the Haiti Earthquake. January 13, 2012 marks the two-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake that left millions homeless, injured and struggling.

With this milestone come many stories of success and many challenges still being faced to restore the country’s livelihood.

Disasters like the Haiti Earthquake receive a lot of attention in the immediate aftermath, but the work to restore communities – and a country like Haiti – will take years. The Red Cross is committed to Haiti with the help of donors like you.

The majority of Red Cross donations is spent on housing, food, water and health care; the very basics that communities need to survive.

Darline Duverger is one example of the types of families you are helping with your donation. Her home in Port au Prince was destroyed during the earthquake. She and her two kids lived in temporary housing for more than year. They received priority for new housing due to her 7-year-old son’s disability. Now Darline operates a small store in front of her home selling items such as eggs, sugar and onions to support her family.

In the coming year, the Red Cross will help hundreds like Darline as they construct and repair homes in communities, provide a safe water supply, ensure sanitation, treat illness and educate the communities about disaster preparedness.

The American Red Cross would like to thank the many individuals, corporations, foundations and government agencies that so generously supported our work in Haiti. Your contributions are making a difference in the lives of people in Haiti, and we are committed to spending your donations wisely to help Haiti recover from this tragedy. For more information on our work in Haiti, please visit redcross.org/haiti.

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Social Media Club of Dallas to Host "Dallas 4 Japan"

On Thursday, March 24th, the Social Media Club of Dallas will host "Dallas 4 Japan," a networking event and fundraiser for the American Red Cross. The event will be held at the Aloft Hotel in Dallas from 7:00-9:00 p.m. Donations from this event will go to support the American Red Cross disaster relief efforts in Japan. Grab your tickets now!

We hope to see you there! Can't make it? You can follow the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #Dallas4Japan.

Watch this moving video and make plans to attend this event!

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Red Cross Relief Efforts Continue In Japan, An Update from Cheryl Sutterfield-Jones

It’s been eleven days since the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan captured the world’s attention. Since then, residents in Dallas and our surrounding communities have leapt into action to help. Through our telethon with WFAA Channel 8 and radio drives with 103.7 LiteFM and Mega 107.5, you have contributed more than $83,000 already! We encourage you to keep giving at our website www.redcross.org or by texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Additionally, we’d like to share with you how you can help in the local area. In this update, I’ll brief you on the current situation in Japan and then share with you some exciting ways that you can help us right here in Dallas as we carry out our humanitarian mission every day.

First let me say that the news coming out of Japan is likely to get worse before it gets better. I know that’s heartbreaking to hear as the people there have already suffered so greatly. But the reality of the situation is overwhelming. Just to highlight a few of the humanitarian challenges:

• Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has raised the alert level at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant from four to five on a seven-point international scale for atomic accidents.
• The number of officially missing stands at more than 12,000 lives and rising
• The number of confirmed deaths stands at close to 10,000 and is expected to rise dramatically
• Approximately 373,000 homes are without electricity and 1.8 million homes are still without water

In the midst of this epic disaster in Japan, progress is beginning to happen. Vital infrastructures such as airports and seaports are being repaired. The Sendai airport, which was submerged by the tsunami, is now open to emergency vehicles, airplanes and helicopters. The number of people in evacuation centers has decreased from 450,000 two nights ago to 390,000 overnight.

While slight improvements are happening on some fronts, recovery for the country of Japan will take years. Each of us who are helping today will be a part of that recovery process for the Japanese people. And please know that they appreciate your support. Last Friday, an official with the Japanese Red Cross sent us these words to share with all of you:

“The compassion the American people have demonstrated over the past week through their generous support to the American Red Cross is incredibly uplifting at a time when we are dealing with such an immense humanitarian tragedy. This financial support is very much needed and continues to be welcomed to help the hundreds of thousands of lives that will forever be changed by this disaster.”

While our teams here at the Red Cross are working around the clock to help the people of Japan, we’re also responding to single and multi-unit apartment fires across the local area. Just this weekend, we helped 12 families who burned out in a Lewisville apartment fire along with seven families who lost their homes one at a time. Typically, we help an average of three families every day. You can help us take care of these local families too!

On Saturday, March 26, 2011 we will host our first-ever “Roll Call at the Crescent” event to highlight the amazing 100 years that the Dallas Area Chapter has been responding locally. A handful of tickets are still available for the event so we’re encouraging you to come out and join us and support local relief efforts right here at home too.

On behalf of every volunteer and staff member at the American Red Cross, we thank you for the many ways in which you’re helping the people of Japan and those who need you here at home. It is heartwarming to be surrounded by so many people who know that humanity begins at home, and spreads wherever it needs to be. Until our next update, I wish you nothing but the best.

Warmest Wishes,
Cheryl Sutterfield-Jones

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Mega 107.5 to Help Raise Money for Japan Earthquake/Tsunami Relief

Mega 107.5 will be collecting financial donations for the American Red Cross relief efforts in Japan in three location on Saturday, March 19.

CARWASH at Wendy's
2328 W. Illinois Ave
Dallas, TX 75224
10am-4pm

Virgin Mobile
Station Remote with Shoboy
618 Park Row Dr.
Arlington, TX 76010
12pm- 2pm
Shoboy will be at this location

Car Toys
3301 W Airport Freeway
Irving, TX 75062
2-4 pm
Eddie J will be at this location

Join us if you can!

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Japan Was Prepared, Are We?

The unthinkable happens.
As the earthquake rocked the shores of Japan, its people - including elderly, children and the vulnerable - only had a few minutes to evacuate before the large tsunami hit. Within this short time-span, many lives were lost and much property was irrevocably damaged.

The best laid plans.
This massive earthquake followed by a tsunami is something that even the most prepared country in the world did not expect. It is well-known that Japan has in place early-warning systems, strict building codes, and citizens that are heavily-versed in escape routes. Even with all this, Japan is still suffering after-effects of unimaginable proportions.

Let us take heed.
As the Japanese experience proved, even the best thought-out plans do not unfold as expected. What are our plans? Are we ready for a mega-disaster? Perhaps it is time for us to prepare.

Related Links

• With severe weather in the forecast, make a plan
• Tsunami Relief telethon
• Locating loved ones in Japan

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Red Cross Launches Call Center to Help Connect Separated Loved Ones

The Dallas Area Chapter has been asked to support the Earthquake/Tsunami relief efforts by staffing a call center at the Red Cross location in McKinney, Texas. The "Response Center Network" will be manned by ten qualified volunteers who will be taking phone calls and helping families who might be trying to find a loved one in an evacuation site or shelter here in the United States. It is also anticipated that they will be helping families trying to find loved ones in Japan. Following the events of September 11, the Dallas Area Chapter also provided similar support to families trying to find their loved ones at Ground Zero.

The Response Center Network is an extension of our national headquarters operation and it's activated when a disaster overwhelms the capacity of any one call center.

The call center will be operational today from 3:00pm-11:00pm, tomorrow from 8:00am-11:00pm and Sunday from 8:00am-11:00pm and will be located at the American Red Cross, 1450 Redbud Blvd, McKinney, TX 75069

For people in our community trying to locate a U.S. citizen in Japan, contact the State Department at 1-888-407-4747. To locate someone in Hawaii or another U.S. tsunami zone, go to www.redcross.org and check the Safe & Well list.

To help the victims, a donation can be made by texting the word REDCROSS to 90999. $10 will be included on your cell phone bill. Donations can also be made at www.redcross.org.

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Pacific – Earthquake and Tsunami: Disaster Alert

March 11, 2011

BACKGROUND

On March 11 at 2:40 p.m. local time, an magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck Japan near the city of Sendai, which caused damage and generated a powerful tsunami which struck northern Japan. A series of high magnitude aftershocks continues to hit the area. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami alert for all countries on the Pacific Coast.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

• The Japanese Red Cross is assessing the full impact of the earthquake and tsunami and has deployed 11 National Disaster Response Teams to conduct assessments, provide healthcare and first aid and plan for relief supplies distribution. The Japanese Red Cross has not made any request for international assistance at this moment.
• A high human toll is anticipated in Japan and the number of dead and missing is rising as the impact of the damage becomes apparent. Initial indications that the worst affected areas are in northeast Japan in Tohuku Region close the epicenter and tsunami impact areas. The Japanese government has mobilized an emergency response, deploying 900 rescue workers to this area.
• Red Cross national societies in the pacific islands such as the Fiji Red Cross and the Cook Islands Red Cross are preparing for impact of the tsunami wave and have sent out alerts via early warning systems.
• The American Red Cross chapters in the pacific islands of Hawaii, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam as well as west coast of the U.S. are on alert and stand ready to provide assistance as needed.

MAP OF AFFECTED AREA: Affected Areas in Japan – Japan Meteorological Agency

GLOBAL RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT NETWORK RESPONSE

Japanese Red Cross

• The Japanese Red Cross is assessing the full impact of the earthquake and tsunami and has deployed 11 National Disaster Response Teams to conduct assessments, provide healthcare and first aid, and plan for relief supplies distribution. No request for international assistance has been made from Japanese Red Cross at this moment.
• The Japanese Red Cross have indicated they are not accepting international tracing inquiries at this time but are assessing the situation.

American Red Cross

• Nationally, the American Red Cross has activated its Disaster Operations Center at its headquarters to facilitate the domestic response as needed for U.S. chapters. It has activated its ‘Safe and Well’ family linking website.
• Internationally, the American Red Cross is monitoring the situation and stands ready to provide international assistance as needed. Its warehouse in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is fully stocked with pre-positioned relief supplies for 5,000 families and it has disaster specialists on stand by.

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (International Federation)

• The International Federation’s Asia Pacific Disaster Management Unit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is taking the lead on International Federation coordination and support activities for the response.

The information in this report is compiled from a number of sources including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the U.S. Agency for International Development and involved national Red Cross/Red Crescent societies. The American Red Cross strives to provide the most accurate and timely information possible; however, all information should be considered conditional until a final report has been issued.

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