Back The important role of the American Red Cross in raising funds to assist victims of last month’s devastating tsunami off the coast of Indonesia was the focus of the Red Cross program on KJFF Radio (1400 AM) Jan. 14.  Kathy Lass, director of International Services for the St. Louis Area Chapter joined Omar Ruiz of the Jefferson County Service Center in Arnold for a 30-minute live interview. The earthquake that triggered the tsunami Dec. 26 was the largest to strike the globe since 1964, and the large waves destroyed entire villages and brought massive flooding throughout Southern Asia and coastal regions as far as East Africa.  More than 200,000 were killed, over half a million injured, tens of thousands were left unaccounted for, and almost two million residents were displaced in the wake of the disaster. Lass and Ruiz expressed thanks for the outpouring of local support from citizens throughout the metropolitan area.  Donations have come from individuals, corporations, organizations, schools, and churches.  Nationally, the American Red Cross has raised more than $211 million, a great start to the $400 million that National Red Cross CEO and President Marty Evans has said will be required from the organization to provide the necessary long-term emergency assistance in the weeks, months and years to come. The Red Cross tsunami relief plan is being implemented in dual phases to meet both immediate and long-term needs and centers on five critical areas: emergency and supplemental food aid, water and sanitation assistance, healthcare and disease prevention, immediate family supplies, and mental health counseling.  To make a donation to the ongoing effort, Lass and Ruiz encouraged the public to call 1-800-HELP-NOW or log on to the national website at www.redcross.org. The American Institute of Philanthropy has named the American Red Cross one of two top-rated charities currently providing relief to tsunami victims, bestowing an A-plus rating on the organization.  This reflects the diligent work the Red Cross has been doing for more than 120 years as good stewards of donated dollars.  Every step is being taken to provide relief and recovery assistance in the best possible way to maximize the benefit to those affected by disaster. For more information about the tsunami disaster relief operation or other programs and services provided by the American Red Cross, please call 636.464.9150 or log on to the St. Louis Area Chapter’s website at www.redcrossstl.org.     This story may be available for an Adobe Acrobat PDF download. Click on the link below to visit the site download center. If a PDF is available, the file will automatically open in your browser.

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