[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 39 (Wednesday, March 17, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E398]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


            RECOGNIZING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF RED CROSS MONTH

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                            HON. DAVID SCOTT

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 17, 2010

  Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 67th 
annual Red Cross Month. For more than 125 years, the mission of the 
American Red Cross has been to help individuals and families prevent, 
prepare for and respond to emergencies, and each year, nearly half a 
million volunteers respond to more than 70,000 disasters nationwide.
  I am particularly proud of the American Red Cross and its Georgia 
chapters, including Metro Atlanta, for their swift, substantial, and 
heart-warming aid to my home state of Georgia during the catastrophic 
floods of last September. In the immediate aftermath, and in the weeks 
that followed, the American Red Cross opened eight shelters that 
provided a safe haven for nearly 500 people displaced by the floods. 
With the aid of over 800 volunteers and employees, health professionals 
were able to reach out to 3,400 victims in flood-drenched 
neighborhoods.
  Without the help of these dedicated volunteers and employees, flood-
affected men, women, and children would not have received more than 
44,000 meals, nor, after losing their homes, would they have been given 
3,723 clean-up and comfort kits. The kindness of strangers provided 
emergency financial assistance for more than 1,700 families.
  As the Spring flood season begins to take its course, I urge my 
constituents and fellow Americans to do what they can to support the 
American Red Cross. The Red Cross relies on donations of time, money 
and blood to respond quickly to emergencies ranging from hurricanes to 
earthquakes and from fires to tornadoes. I commend the Red Cross for 
their efforts.

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