The American Red Cross of Southeastern Virginia has served the communities of Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach since 1916. It is dedicated to providing relief to victims of disasters and helping people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.
The American Red Cross of Southeastern Virginia serves the community in many different ways. It is the organization that:
Supports the community in preparing for disasters and emergencies
Brings aid and comfort to victims of disasters and emergencies
Teaches critical skills to save lives at home and at work
Helps contact members of the military in emergencies
Provides a safe blood supply whenever and wherever needed
HURRICANE ISABEL:
A CALL TO ACTION
Emergency Services Director Linda Hughes said it best: "While it would have been better for the storm to head out to sea, Hurricane Isabel showed the community what the Red Cross is all about. Our volunteers and staff trained and worked on our response plans continuously. We gave hundreds of disaster preparedness presentations. When Hurricane Isabel approached, we were ready."
The day before the storm hit, the Red Cross set up its Emergency Operations Center and evacuation shelters at 26 area locations. In the meantime, the American National Red Cross was assembling hundreds of volunteers and tons of equipment and supplies from throughout the nation to assist local teams in launching major disaster relief operations in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach.
Immediately after the storm hit, the American Red Cross loaded emergency response vehicles to bring water, food and other emergency items into the communities. At the same time, damage assessment teams fanned out across the region to determine which neighborhoods had the most critical need for assistance. Red Cross volunteers helped thousands in need with emergency provisions and other assistance.
It was a massive and very successful operation. The Red Cross provided shelter for more than 6,500 people and served them more than 22,000 meals and snacks. In the neighborhoods, Red Cross volunteers brought over 500,000 hot meals and snacks to people without food or electricity and provided thousands of gallons of water, truckloads of ice, thousands of clean-up kits and, above all, a caring, helping hand to those who were hardest hit by the storm.
The thousands of hours of volunteer and staff work, massive quantities of supplies and equipment, and millions of dollars spent during the recovery provide ample proof that the American Red Cross of Southeastern Virginia has earned its reputation for compassion and caring.
