[ March is American Red Cross month...]

By Alice M. Young

Special to The Capital-Journal

March is American Red Cross month, an annual observance dating back to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1943 proclamation and proclaimed again by President George W. Bush last week. But will it really be the Red Cross' month this year?

Of course the same proclamation has been made, but will the American Red Cross continue to enjoy the same level of local and national support it received prior to Sept. 11?

The American Red Cross emergency response to the September attacks was the largest, fastest, finest and most comprehensive undertaking in the organization's history. Never before has any relief organization done so much, so quickly, for so many.

Paradoxically, that same response netted the American Red Cross the worst, most unrelenting --- some say concerted --- image attack ever on the organization.

Albeit with good intentions, and because of the stupendous outpouring of money from the American people, the American Red Cross violated its own policies and practices by deciding to give cash gifts to survivors and trying to address other concerns related to terrorism. (Historically, we do not hand out money as compensation.) This caused confusion about what the organization does (and does not do) and how it operates, and opened the door for misinformation and political attacks.

So, with the start of American Red Cross Month, it behooves us to make clear what we are, what we are not and how we operate.

The core mission of the American Red Cross is to provide relief to victims of disasters, and to help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to all types of emergencies. It is not our mission to financially restore survivors' lives to pre-disaster levels.

We are a front-line organization. During major disasters our primary function is to "stop the bleeding," minimize loss, comfort victims and help them restart their lives by providing basic necessities over the short term. This practice can take the form of first aid, mental-health counseling, temporary shelter, blankets, clothing and food.

The hundreds of millions of dollars from the Liberty Fund that we've distributed in cash to Sept. 11 survivors notwithstanding, we are not an after-the-fact insurance company. Again, as decades-long official policy, we do not distribute compensatory cash to disaster survivors.

We do not discriminate in hiring or in the distribution of aid. The help we give in disasters is based solely on the need created by the disaster. What we do is respond in this country to some 67,000 disasters each year.

It is very unlikely that donations during a disaster will exactly equal the amount required to fulfill the Red Cross mission. There is either too little or too much.

In 2000, the national organization spent $69.3 million on disaster relief while obtaining just $49.3 million in donations. In the state of Kansas, the April 2001 Hoisington tornado cost the American Red Cross $710,369; but only $576,005 was raised for this disaster.

In June 2001, in northeast Kansas, the Easton area flooding cost the Red Cross $90,604; but only $19,778 was raised locally for the disaster.

The shortfalls for these disasters were made up from the general Disaster Relief Fund. To help make up for such shortfalls, American Red Cross fund-raising language states that contributions will be applied to "this and other disasters."

An enduring misperception is that the national organization is funded by the government. It is not. Another misperception is that the national organization funds local chapters. It does not.

Local chapters, such as our Kansas Capital Area Chapter, are self- sustaining and maintained through local donations. All chapters are required to have an independent financial review, and the internal audit unit of the American Red Cross does regular audits of all chapters.

Chapters also have to meet specific national guidelines to maintain their charters. In the last decade, hundreds of local chapters have been de-chartered or consolidated due to insufficient local giving. Close to home, there are six fewer chapters in Kansas today than five years ago.

Well-funded or not, the American Red Cross fulfills many other missions. The Red Cross provides assistance and communications between members of the Armed Forces and their families around the world.

Our health and safety classes teach the public how to prepare, prevent and respond to emergencies in everyday life. Classes include everything from first aid and CPR to water safety and babysitting training.

The American Red Cross has been in Shawnee County since 1916. Thanks to a generous, involved public, we are currently blessed with good leadership, good public communications and a corps of dedicated volunteers.

For over 100 years the American Red Cross has helped the people of Shawnee County. Yes, March is Red Cross Month, but we are here for Shawnee County and northeast Kansas every day.

Alice M. Young is the volunteer chairman of the Kansas Capital Area Chapter, American Red Cross, serving Shawnee, Pottawatomie, Wabaunsee, Jackson, Jefferson, Osage and Coffey counties with offices in Topeka and Burlington.

Copyright 2002
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