Media Center

Madam 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 of 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, and I thank you Madam Speaker, for your time.