The American Red Cross in Greater New York (ARC/GNY) is participating in long-term relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina. We are working in many ways to help thousands of people affected by this disaster.

ARC/GNY has sent more than 70 responders to help in the relief efforts, many of them NYC firefighters who are members of the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART).

We are staffing a Hurricane Call Center that handles more than 500 calls a day from Katrina victims requesting aid and information.

And we are also working with more than 400 families from the Gulf Coast here in New York, providing them with shelter, food, clothing and counseling.

A new volunteer training program, to launch this week, will rapidly increase the number of available disaster volunteers.

ARC/GNY has also been serving as an important information source for the news media in New York and the nation. We have conducted interviews and tours of our Hurricane Call Center with more than 50 local, national and international media and continue to provide the press with frequent updates on Red Cross Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

This displacement of more than a million people by the storm has generated the largest response to a single national disaster in Red Cross history.  

More than 7,300 Red Cross relief workers are currently operating more than 400 shelters in the region, housing more than 70,000 evacuees each night. And American Red Cross has served more than 7.6 million hot meals to evacuees.

The Red Cross is expecting to recruit 40,000 new volunteers to help bring safe shelter, food and comfort to those touched by Katrina, and to help respond to local needs.

Evacuees and loved ones separated by this disaster can click here, or call 1-877-LOVED-1S to join the Family Links Registry. To date, more than 181,200 people have registered online and more than 85,200 have called the hotline.

The Red Cross is also establishing a comprehensive system to deliver needed financial assistance to storm survivors.

As of September 12, the American Red Cross has received $600 million in gifts and pledges for the hurricane relief effort. Much more is needed.

What New Yorkers Can Do:

1. Donate money for the relief effort. Call 1-800-HELP NOW or donate online.
   
2. Volunteer - Thousands of New Yorkers have stepped forward to volunteer to assist in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. The first step to becoming a Red Cross Disaster Responder is to attend a session of the New Volunteer Training Program. Attendance at one of these free three-hour programs will accelerate the process of preparing you to respond to disasters, either Hurricane Katrina or the 3,000 plus emergencies we have each year right here in New York. For a full description of the program, a list of all scheduled sessions, and to register online, click here.
   
3. Prepare Your Family – Make sure that you and your family have made plans to prepare for the unexpected. The Red Cross offers a variety of preparedness programs and products. Go to www.nyredcross.org to learn more.

The Red Cross is unable to accept small, individual donations of food and clothing. The National Guard Amory, 93-05 168th Street, Jamaica, Queens is accepting good used clothing.

Individuals who need long-term housing resources, please call 1-888-7-NYS-AID.