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John Link made reference to the immigration status of some of our citizens. Some have lost their jobs and might not be able to stay here. He and Economic Development Director Dianne Reid will be looking into these issues and will report back to the Board as soon as possible in April about how the Board can be proactive in this issue. 5. RESOLUTIONS/PROCLAMATIONS a. American Red Cross Month The Board considered a proclamation designating March 2002 as American Red Cross Month. Chair Jacobs recognized those in the audience from the local Chapter of the American Red Cross. Commissioner Carey read the proclamation. A motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Gordon to approve and authorize the Chair to sign the proclamation as stated below. PROCLAMATION DECLARING MARCH 2002 AS AMERICAN RED CROSS MONTH WHEREAS, the American Red Cross was founded in 1881 by a visionary woman named Clara Barton and chartered by Congress in 1905 to act in times of need; and, WHEREAS, the Orange County chapter of the American Red Cross was founded in 1917, and now responds to more than 25 disasters in Orange County each year; and, WHEREAS, the American Red Cross is one of the nation's oldest, most-recognized humanitarian organizations and is woven tightly into the fabric of Orange County, providing health and safety training to hundreds of Orange County residents and compassionate care when disasters and other crises threaten to overwhelm and/or destroy residents' lives; and, WHEREAS, at times of disaster and crisis, Americans trust and rely upon their local Red Cross chapters to provide services for families robbed of their loved ones, homes, livelihoods or dignity; and, WHEREAS, the American Red Cross maintains Disaster Action Teams that are on call 24-hours a day to provide food, clothing, shelter, health and mental health services to those affected by events and to rescue and recovery workers, with the Orange County chapter having provided over 50 volunteers that were assigned to national and regional operations, including "Ground Zero" in New York and at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack recovery; and, WHEREAS, the Red Cross also responds to international emergencies, including helping to create and administer America's Fund for Afghan Children, and has already prompted the shipment of one million dollars' worth of essential supplies and medicine to Afghanistan; and, WHEREAS, the American Red Cross provides hospitals with half the nation's supply of blood and blood products for lifesaving medical treatments and routine medical procedures, with the Orange County chapter supplying over 6,000 units of blood and plasma to the Carolina Blood Region in 2001; and, WHEREAS, Red Cross workers across the nation and in Orange County are working around-the-clock to fulfill a historical role of keeping military personnel and their families in touch and offering other small comforts to ease the strain of being far from home; and, WHEREAS, the Orange County chapter responded to 25 fires and flooded homes and apartments in Orange County and provided 236 people with financial assistance that included motel rooms, food, clothes, and other assistance, and further provided food, hot drinks, and support to hundreds of local firefighters and emergency personnel; and,