American Red Cross Continues Sandy Aid
"We can help people and communities in a more comprehensive way when we pool our resources and services together in a coordinated way. This not only speeds recovery, but helps us engage the entire community in building the resilience we need as we face disasters of this type in the future," said Jerry DeFrancisco, president of Humanitarian Services at the Red Cross.
The American Red Cross announced it is awarding more than $10 million in grants to eight nonprofit organizations to help their recovery programs and services for people affected by Hurricane Sandy, which ARC's news release stated is the largest Red Cross domestic relief effort in five years. Its volunteers served more than 17 million meals and snacks; distributed more than 7 million relief items; mobilized more than 17,000 trained disaster workers and volunteers; and provided more than 74,000 overnight stays in shelters during the first six months after the storm.
The grants will be used for home repairs, direct financial assistance, volunteer programs, and more for people and communities in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, and West Virginia by these agencies:
- The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), receiving $2.5 million to provide financial or housing assistance in New York, Connecticut, and Maryland
- Rebuilding Together, $2.25 million to repair and rebuild homes in New Jersey and New York
- Lutheran Disaster Response, $1.965 million to repair homes, provide financial assistance to survivors and for volunteer management and children’s programs
- Catholic Charities USA, $1.6 million for medical and financial assistance, home repair, and to conduct community impact studies and support community long-term recovery plans
- Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, $850,000 for rebuilding homes in New York and New Jersey, building materials, and staff and volunteer supportMennonite Disaster Services, $800,000 to rebuild homes in New York and in Maryland
- World Renew, $258,000 for assessments for long-term recovery committees in several communities in New York, New Jersey, and Maryland
- NECHAMA Jewish Response to Disaster, $250,000 to repair and rebuild 100 homes in New York and New Jersey
In the nine months after the storm, ARC has spent or made commitments to spend $260 million for Sandy emergency relief and recovery programs, which represents approximately 85 percent of the $307 million donated to the Red Cross for Sandy.
"Recovery from a storm of this size takes time and help from many different organizations, not just the Red Cross, and we are pleased to support the programs of our partners and to continue to work with them to help people with their recovery," said Jerry DeFrancisco, president of Humanitarian Services at the Red Cross. "We can help people and communities in a more comprehensive way when we pool our resources and services together in a coordinated way. This not only speeds recovery, but helps us engage the entire community in building the resilience we need as we face disasters of this type in the future."
"We are the people on the ground before, during, and long after a disaster strikes, which puts us in a unique position to really understand a community's needs and makes us an invaluable asset to first responders and our partners," said Rev. Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA. "Thanks to the generosity of the Red Cross and other partner organizations, we will continue to provide support to our local agencies still reeling from the effects of Sandy until all those affected have rebuilt."