By Daily Press staff
2005 turned out to be a year of disasters and overwhelming generosity thanks to the good citizens of Santa Monica who contributed millions of dollars to disaster relief.
Santa Monicans were already contributing in January of 2005 substantial sums of money to help mitigate a disaster that happened half way around the world. The Dec. 26, 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed an estimated 275,000 people and destroyed billions of dollars in property in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and other countries bordering the Indian Ocean.
Contributions to the American Red Cross of Santa Monica for tsunami disaster relief alone totaled nearly $1.9 million, according to officials. Just under $700,000 was raised by direct donations to the chapter. Another $1.2 million was donated through a Web site and toll free phone lines operated by the national American Red Cross from persons living in Santa Monica zip codes.
In August and September of 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita slammed into the Gulf Coast, devastating parts of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Many people found themselves with little choice but to relocate out of the disaster areas. Many of those families headed to the West Coast looking for help, housing and a chance to start over.
“The Santa Monica Red Cross alone serviced 256 families representing 423 individuals,” said Robert Chatman, director of disaster services at the American Red Cross of Santa Monica. “Seventy-nine families were housed in hotels and motels while many others found accommodations with friends and families.
“The families living in hotels and motels are for the most part receiving financial assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and will continue to do so through Feb. 7, 2006. Some families have found more permanent housing here. An estimated couple dozen school age children from the disaster areas are enrolled in Santa Monica schools.”
The Santa Monica Red Cross disbursed nearly $100,000 in direct financial aid and paid services to displaced persons who had applied for help in Santa Monica.
According to the Pacific Service Region of the American Red Cross, more than 2,700 displaced families and individuals received services from the Red Cross and local churches in Los Angeles County in the months after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the South.
The Santa Monica chapter instituted a series of basic Red Cross disaster relief classes to prepare individuals who might want to volunteer in the disaster area or pick up practical knowledge of how to deal with a local disaster if one should occur. About 1,300 people completed courses immediately after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Ninety-two trained individuals were sent from the Santa Monica chapter into the disaster theater.
“Volunteers were deployed for a minimum of two weeks in a number of Southern states and worked in food services, shelter management, logistics, family service, public relations and other activities,” Chatman said.
The Red Cross was not alone in experiencing the generosity of Santa Monicans. Faith based organizations and other charitable organizations also raised money and goods for hurricane victims. School children, civic groups and even the city of Santa Monica itself got into the spirit of giving and provided financial aid, equipment and services to organizations and municipalities along the Gulf including New Orleans.
“We are overwhelmed by the generosity of people and companies in the Santa Monica area,” said John Pacheco, executive director of the American Red Cross of Santa Monica. “Although our chapter is a relatively small in size, our contributions to both the tsunami and hurricane disaster relief efforts have attracted national recognition as far as how much help we provided. And, it is all because of the generosity of the citizens of this community.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 31, 2005. Read the original PDF.