The American Red Cross was poised to assist others when Wednesday’s storms struck the South, and respond with the latest in a series of weather-related disaster relief efforts since March.
The organization, however, couldn’t have known that it would be on the receiving end of the damage, too: The Red Cross chapter building in Cullman, Ala., was destroyed and another in Tuscaloosa was heavily damaged.
Regardless of the victim, the group’s greatest need is monetary donations, said Sherry Nicholson, American Red Cross spokesman.
The Red Cross has set up shelters to provide safe havens and meals for storm survivors. People interested in helping can send contributions to American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C., 20013.
They also can go on line at www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS to make credit-card donations. Yet another outlet is to text redcross on 90999, which is an automatic $10 donation.
As the death toll approached 300 throughout the South on Thursday, Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency for Georgia, covering several counties, including Catoosa County, perhaps the state’s hardest hit.
Among the other agencies and individuals helping out:
- Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless is collecting blankets, canned goods, water and toiletries at 1035 Donnelly Ave. S.W. in Atlanta for families to pick up and take to Alabama or tornado-ravaged areas in Georgia.
Elisabeth Omilami said the organization, which was founded by her father, may hold a drive to collect additional donation items. She said the group is trying to reach out to various Alabama churches and individuals it has worked with in the past to make sure they’re functioning and determine what needs to be done.
- The Home Depot Foundation has created a $1 million weather impact fund to aid relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts to those in need in the South and Midwest. Home Depot is donating a quarter of that amount to the American Red Cross.
- The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church is asking church members to make a special offering this Sunday -- or at another time -- to provide a disaster response. Bishop Mike Watson, according to the conference's website, is asking that offerings be dropped at the church or mailed to the North Georgia Conference Treasurer's Office, marked 3740 North Georgia Conference Disaster Relief, 4511 Jones Bridge Circle, Norcross, Ga., 30092.
- LifeSouth Community Blood Centers will have several sites available for people interested in donating blood. LifeSouth centers serve hospitals in Florida and Georgia, and are the largest blood suppliers in Alabama. Power outages have closed several donor centers. Anyone 17 or older, or 16 with parental permission, who weighs a minimum of 110 pounds and in good health, can donate blood. A photo ID is required. For bloodmobile and center locations, and hours of operation for donor centers, call 1-888-795-2707.
- The North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention sent out assessment teams on Thursday to the hardest-hit areas in Georgia and Alabama, said Mickey Caison, disaster relief team leader. Those teams will determine how many volunteers the mission will seek in the coming days to assist with clean-up and repair efforts. People can donate through the mission's website, www.namb.net. All funds go directly to this disaster relief effort.
Some groups have been told to wait until it’s safe to go into hard-hit areas or the needs have been determined.
North Point Ministries, for instance, is trying to determine what can be done, but hasn’t settled on a plan yet, said Bob Strickland, executive director of North Point’s multi-site ministries. “We have two partner churches in Birmingham and Chattanooga that we are talking to, as well as three relief organizations.”
The Atlanta Community Food Bank is also assessing the relief situation “and reaching out to all our agencies to let us know how they’ve been affected and what they need,” spokeswoman Angie Clawson said. In past disasters, she said, the nonprofit has donated food and grocery items.
Staff writer Rosalind Bentley contributed to this article.
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