Friday, January 22, 2010

Richmond City Council encourages Richmonders to donate to the Greater Richmond Chapter of the American Red Cross on behalf of the Haiti Disaster Relief Fund

In the wake of the devastating effects of the earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, Richmond City Council encourages Richmonders interested in assisting affected families to donate money to the Richmond Chapter of the American Red Cross on behalf of the Haiti Disaster Relief Fund.



RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL

Richmond City Hall

900 E. Broad Street, Suite 200

Richmond, Virginia  23219

www.council.richmondva.gov

Money donated to the American Red Cross enables the agency to shelter, feed and clothe displaced victims.

(Richmond, VA) -- In the wake of the devastating effects of the earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, Richmond City Council encourages Richmonders interested in assisting affected families to donate money to the Richmond Chapter of the American Red Cross on behalf of the Haiti Disaster Relief Fund.

Members of Richmond City Council express their compassion for the families affected by this tragedy and their hopes for an expeditious recovery and return to calm in their lives.

    Money donated to the Disaster Relief Fund enables the American Red Cross to shelter, feed, and clothe displaced families. Richmond City Council also reminds citizens that in-kind donations such as food and clothing are costly to ship and require additional security, warehousing, staffing, and distribution resources.

    All American Red Cross disaster assistance is provided free to recipients and is made possible through the kindness, care and donations of time and money by the American people.

    Monetary donations may be mailed to the American Red Cross, Greater Richmond Chapter. P.O. Box 655, Richmond, Virginia 23261, by calling 804.780.2250 or by donating on-line, at www.greaterrichmond.redcross.org.

CONTACT     For more information, please contact, Bill Harrison, Greater Richmond Chapter of the American Red Cross, at 804.780.2256, or harrisonb@usa.redcross.org

BACKGROUND
The American Red Cross is an independent entity that is organized and exists as a nonprofit, tax-exempt, charitable institution pursuant to a charter granted to it by the United States Congress. Unlike other congressionally chartered organizations, the Red Cross maintains a special relationship with the federal government. It has the legal status of "a federal instrumentality," due to its charter requirements to carry out responsibilities delegated to it by the federal government. Among these responsibilities are:

•    to fulfill the provisions of the Geneva Conventions, to which the United States is a signatory, assigned to national societies for the protection of victims of conflict,
•    to provide family communications and other forms of support to the U.S. military, and,
•    to maintain a system of domestic and international disaster relief, including mandated responsibilities under the National Response Plan coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

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