Agenda - 03-19-2002 - 5a - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: March 19, 2002 Action Age a Item No. SUBJECT: American Red Cross Month DEPARTMENT: County Commissioners PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Barry Jacobs, Chair Proclamation TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider a proclamation declaring March, 2002 as American Red Cross Month. BACKGROUND: 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. As one of the nation's oldest, most-recognized humanitarian organizations, the American Red Cross 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. The Orange County chapter was founded in 1917, and now responds to more than 25 disasters in Orange County each year. 2001 was a very busy year for the Orange County Red Cross chapter. As Local Disaster Assistance, the 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. The chapter also provided food, hot drinks, and support to hundreds of local firefighters and emergency personnel. 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. The Orange County chapter 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. Some 265 people were also trained in disaster relief. The Red Cross also responds to international emergencies. The Red Cross helped create and administer America's Fund for Afghan Children, with money donated by thousands of children across the nation, including Orange County. One million dollars' worth of essential supplies and medicine has already been shipped to Afghanistan.