CSEA steps up for Red Cross Campaign for Disaster Relief

ALBANY, NY (10/30/2008)(readMedia)-- CSEA, New York’s leading union, has made a major donation to the American Red Cross Campaign for Disaster Relief. The union made an initial $10,000 contribution to help jump-start the Campaign for Disaster Relief, and has subsequently donated another $50,000 with assistance from their international union, AFSCME.

CSEA’s donation will go directly to the American Red Cross national Disaster Relief Fund, which gives aid such as shelter, food, clean water and clean-up kits to victims of thousands of disasters across America each year. While the Disaster Relief Fund has been drained by the hurricanes of 2008, tornadoes and flooding in the Midwest this spring and an early wildfire season, many chapters across New York State will also benefit from CSEA’s generous contribution. CSEA has requested that its contribution be credited equally among all of the American Red Cross chapters in New York State towards their obligations in the current national campaign.

CSEA president Danny Donohue noted that CSEA members are no strangers to disaster response. Many CSEA members are emergency services professionals working alongside Red Cross staff and volunteers in a wide range of situations. Still more are first responders and Red Cross volunteers themselves.

“We are very aware of the importance of disaster preparedness and response,” Donohue said. “Our support of the national Disaster Relief Fund comes back to help New Yorkers when disaster strikes here,” he said. “We are confident this contribution will help make lives better.”

While CSEA’s contribution will make a major difference in the lives of thousands of disaster victims, the need for additional donations is still great. The cost of the Red Cross response to the storms of 2008 will top $100 million, but to date, only $50 million has been received in donations. There are several easy ways to join CSEA in supporting the Red Cross relief effort:

  • Call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish).
  • Make a secure online contribution at www.redcrossneny.org.
  • Mail donations to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013 or to your local Red Cross chapter.

For high-resolution photos for publication, please e-mail Siobhan Kent at kent@redcrossneny.org or call (518) 339-7558.

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