I WOULD LIKE to thank the Exchange Club for the opportunity to share the Red Cross mission and our relief efforts in the recent tornadoes and storms that devastated our region on April 27, and thank the Rome News-Tribune for their coverage of the event. However, I would like to correct the statement in the paper (June 25) that “most of the Red Cross relief efforts have been focused on the Ringgold area along with the Cave Spring area in Floyd County.”

While I gave examples of our relief efforts in Cave Spring ( because I was speaking in Floyd County ) and Ringgold (because it was impacted the hardest), I also explained our efforts in all of the six counties in our chapter’s coverage that were affected. Bartow, Catoosa, Dade, Floyd, Walker, and Gordon counties all were impacted and received some or all of the following relief operations: shelters, mobile and fixed site feeding, client casework, clean-up kits, comfort kits, health and mental health contacts, and bulk item distribution. Although headquartered in Rome, the Northwest Georgia Chapter serves 10 counties with staffed and volunteer offices throughout the area.

 

TOM BLANKENSHIP

Director of Operations

NWGA Chapter

American Red Cross