American Red Cross Asks for Patience in Financial Assistance Effort

WASHINGTON, Tuesday, September 13, 2005 — The American Red Cross today appealed to the nearly one million victims of Hurricane Katrina for patience as they endeavor to access near-term financial assistance. The Red Cross has already provided its core services of food and shelter to hundreds of thousands displaced by the worst natural calamity in American history.
The Red Cross also reassures evacuees and victims of the Hurricane Katrina disaster that they will be given the same level of assistance as all other callers regardless of when their calls are received over the next few weeks. People are experiencing delays at the toll-free call center as more than 25,000 calls are placed each hour. Ultimately, as many as 750,000 to one million people are expected to use the hotline.
To date, nearly 80,000 families have received more than $140 million in aid through Red Cross programs. In addition to funds, 85,000 Red Cross volunteers are providing services like meals, blankets, clothing, hygiene kits and a place to sleep for hundreds of thousands of people.