Misty Thomas, Spokesperson for the American Red Cross, speaks on how the Red Cross is helping victims of the recent tornadoes that hit Kentucky and other states.
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00:00It's gut-wrenching. We've been through so much here in Kentucky, but these communities are right now, they're just, they're assessing their immediate needs, which is what we're doing. We're here to meet those immediate needs and just figuring out one day at a time how to navigate forward.
00:12So we're on the ground and making sure that they have shelter options to be able to come in if they want to stay the night in our shelters or come in charge of phone, receive resources, receive a hot meal, and meet with some of our teams that includes spiritual care, mental health therapists, and then also to meet their health needs if they need their prescription medicines replaced, their eyeglasses, medical equipment.
00:34We're just helping them meet those immediate needs. So we're still in that very immediate response phase of assessing the situation and what the needs are of each individual family that comes in to see us.
00:45So still really in shock and awe for many of them. And we're just here to help them begin to assess those first steps forward.
00:52And what are some of those most urgent right now type of needs and how is the Red Cross helping?
00:57So immediately we want to make for sure that they have a safe place to stay. So there are shelters open that we are seeing an influx today of people coming in.
01:07Of course, we're at the threat of severe weather coming in in just hours here in this area again.
01:12So we're making for sure that they have water, they have food, they have their medical needs being met.
01:18So those are those most basic immediate needs that you need to be able to begin to move forward.
01:23And that's what we're doing here on the ground. And that's what we're hearing from them.
01:28So multiple states, in addition to Kentucky, have been impacted by this tornado outbreak.
01:32How is the Red Cross allocating the resources to try to help as many as they can?
01:40So we work before the storms hit. We have volunteers and supplies allocated those resources across the nation pre-positioned.
01:48And then after the point of impact, we immediately start assessing and scaling up the volunteer need to meet those needs.
01:55And then also the resource need. And then we start moving those supplies from where we need to to get to the point to make for sure that those every need is met.
02:04That comes in that we are aware of. We're making for sure that those resources are available.
02:07We've had a tough start to the year on a national level with so many recent disasters.
02:12Are you finding donations are spread thin or is there something such as donor fatigue?
02:17And how can people support the Red Cross through this really difficult time?
02:21You know, we have suffered back to back impacts here in Kentucky.
02:27We've already suffered two floods that claimed we had a loss of lives and homes in that situation and now this situation.
02:34But our our donors are so very good and people just open up their hearts and they give they give and they meet the needs.
02:43And it's just I just marvel at that because we have seen an increase in weather impacts, not just in Kentucky, but across our nation.
02:49But the best way to give right now is a financially supporting and you can do that at Red Cross dot org slash donate.
02:56You can call one hundred Red Cross or you can even text nine zero nine nine nine to make a ten dollar donation.
03:03But that financial donation is the quickest way for us to meet the immediate needs of the people and the individual needs.
03:11And that allows them to make recovery choices on their own is for us to be able to give them some financial assistance to start moving forward.