Red Cross continues to serve hurricane victims
Posted on Tuesday, August 29, 2006
FAYETTEVILLE - In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the American Red Cross opened 1, 400 shelters and provided 3. 8 million overnight stays. More than 1. 4 million families were helped.
A year after the hurricane, the local Red Cross chapter continues to provide physical and emotional support and is still seeing increased participation and donations.
Sharon Ledbetter, director of emergency services for the Northwest Arkansas Red Cross, said the event changed disaster relief within the organization.
"Both human and material resources increased dramatically," she said. "Financial donations increased dramatically as well."
Once immediate emergency needs are met, Ledbetter said the response phase leads into the recovery phase.
"We move victims into the recovery phase and help them look for homes, additional food, clothing and jobs," she said.
The organization also learned from its mistakes after the hurricane.
Ledbetter said the Red Cross is working on streamlining services and engaging technology to prevent fraud.
"We've streamlined into delivering quicker services more efficiently," she said. "That's something that has drastically increased our abilities to serve many more people."
In a disaster event, Ledbetter said, there are always people misusing the organization's services. With technology, she said, the organization can ensure that the money is not being misused.
Ledbetter said the northwest Arkansas chapter is continuing to work with the community to help hurricane evacuees find jobs and get settled.
The chapter recently partnered with the Arkansas Work Force to hold a job fair at the Jones Center for Families in Springdale and will contribute to an anniversary dinner and prayer at the Central United Methodist Church.
"We couldn't do anything without our community partners," Ledbetter said. "All of the nonprofits in northwest Arkansas have contributed to the evacuees."
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