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Red Cross Chapter Serves as Focal Point of Response Efforts
The Twin Cities Area Chapter has become a staging ground for efforts to respond to the collapse of a major bridge in Minneapolis.
By Beth Boone, Response Communication, National Headquarters
Friday, August 03, 2007 — Two days after the I-35W bridge collapsed in Minneapolis, the mood is somber as recovery crews continue to scour the Mississippi River to locate those unable to escape the tragedy. Minneapolis police and officials from response organizations work busily at a makeshift command center in the parking lot of the American Red Cross of the Twin Cities Area Chapter, which is located only blocks from the bridge.
Minneapolis Police have set up a command center in the parking lot of the American Red Cross of the Twin Cities Area. The chapter, located just blocks from the collapsed bridge, is providing food, water and emotional support and counseling to emergency personnel and concerned family members. Photo: Amanda Mark/American Red Cross.
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Families and loved ones, meanwhile, have gathered at the nearby Red Cross family service center, where they receive food, warm meals and emotional support while awaiting information from recovery officials. More than 60 families came together at the center yesterday, sharing stories and giving and receiving encouragement and hugs while remaining safe from the eyes and ears of media crews covering the collapse. Many returned today to take advantage of the center’s proximity to recovery efforts and meet with mental health counselors who volunteer through the chapter.
The Red Cross is one of dozens of organizations in the Twin Cities area that have rallied to support those involved in response efforts and the families and friends of victims. As a member of the Minneapolis-St. Paul community, the American Red Cross will continue its work during this tragedy and be ready for others to come.
All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year, disasters like the Midwest ice storms, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of disaster. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation. Call 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.
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