SPE Gulf Coast Section supports Greater Houston Red Cross Hurricane Recovery 

Bill Bowers, SPE GCS Chair and Susan Howes, SPE International GC Region Director present Davis Henderson, Chief Executive Officer, Greater Houston Area Chapter, American Red Cross with a donation for the Hurricane Ike Relief efforts.

 

From the Red Cross:

When Hurricane Ike made landfall in Texas on Saturday, September 13, the Red Cross was still mounting a massive relief effort in Louisiana and surrounding states to feed, shelter and counsel the thousands impacted by Hurricane Gustav. This was just one of the 60 large relief operations the Red Cross organized this year–responses to a succession of disasters starting with record-breaking tornadoes, the worst flooding to hit the Midwest in 15 years, and an early wildfire season.  Despite the continuous drain on resources, the Red Cross was prepared when Hurricane Ike arrived in the Gulf Coast and spread debris from Texas to the Florida Panhandle.

Ike made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane, concentrating most of his intensity on Galveston, Texas. Having changed direction many times, Ike kept the Red Cross on its toes as the storm threatened the coasts of southern Florida, Louisiana and then Texas.  The Red Cross and its thousands of disaster workers aggressively tracked the storm, pre-positioning and repositioning people and supplies. All of this is possible due to the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF)

The Disaster Relief Fund (DRF)

The DRF allows the Red Cross to respond to victims of disaster whenever and wherever disasters occur. The DRF provides the vital financial support necessary for the Red Cross to maintain its emergency relief efforts. Because emergency needs cannot wait, the DRF ensures relief services such as food, shelter and other basic necessities are available immediately to victims of disaster. Before disaster strikes, the DRF enables the Red Cross to prepare for emergencies by mobilizing personnel and supplies at a moment’s notice. The Red Cross has taken many steps to reduce expenses without cutting services. So far, this cost cutting includes: consolidating warehouse space, using technology to further automate casework processes and placing a greater emphasis on using local volunteers and utilizing partner resources.