2009-10-07 - American Red Cross Lending a Hand in Samoa

American Samoa, October 7, 2009 - American Red Cross volunteers are going village to village to assist people who may be without housing for months and without electricity for a year or more. At least 2,000 families in American Samoa have homes that are damaged or destroyed by the tsunami. “The government of American Samoa has identified all of the major and destroyed residences with the number of people in those residences, sorted by villages,” reports Barbara Riester, the American Red Cross worker in charge of bulk distribution. “Based on the number of the people in the family, the American Red Cross is providing free coolers, cooking kits, tarps, cots, work gloves, flashlights, trash bags and comfort kits,” said Riester. Red Cross workers are also distributing tents and portable toilets provided by FEMA.“We're dealing with 70 villages that were affected, some more heavily damaged than others. We are sending our people out to those villages in whatever vehicle we have available.” “Today, we were able to reach two villages-one small, one larger. In the small village, we addressed the needs of two families with a total of 10 people. In the larger village, we helped 15 families with a total of 77 people.” Each vehicle going to the villages with supplies is followed by a vehicle carrying American Red Cross workers who have been trained in constructing yerts-round tents that can be erected on a family's land after the American Samoa government has certified that the property has been cleared of debris and has adequate sanitation systems. “We want to make sure that where the family is setting up the tent is safe,” Riester said. The tents may be in use for some time: Riester said that damaged or destroyed homes may take “months” to replace or repair and that electricity, which is out on half of American Samoa, may require generator assistance for as much as 12 to 24 months. “You're talking long term that people here will need assistance,” she said. So far, over 4,700 meals and snacks have been served, and nine (9) pallets of food items such as spam, rice, and saimin sent by the Red Cross arrived in American Samoa from Hawaii today. Tim Serban, a volunteer with the Red Cross Spiritual Care Response Team, is following up with patients who have been released from the hospital, especially those who have lost children and who are in shock and trying to survive. Serban and his team met with a pre-school teacher who was facing the reality of school starting and what to say or do to help the children process the grief and fear that the students who don't show up, may never be coming back to school. Says Serban, “Coming this Friday, we will be working with two families having funerals for their children, which means digging their own child's grave, all of which are in the front yard of the family home.” Over 80 Red Cross volunteers from the United States (including 15 from Hawaii), are sleeping in open air recreational centers and are thankful to get a cold shower. They are working out of a tent and two 40-foot cargo containers welded together side by side. Help people affected by disaster like the recent tsunami by donating to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. On those rare occasions when donations exceed Red Cross expenses for a specific disaster, contributions are used to prepare for and serve victims of other disasters. Your gift enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to victims of all disasters. (PR)