By Catie Ballenger, American Red Cross
During times of disaster, the American Red Cross provides safe shelter, food, emergency relief supplies, emotional support, health services and recovery assistance.
Providing food, drinks and snacks to those affected by disaster events ranging from single-family home fires to more complex events such as floods, wildfires and catastrophic incidents provides more than just nourishment. It also helps those affected, cope with the emotional toll of the disaster and enables responders to continue with their disaster response efforts.
The Red Cross offers this service to all who need it during a disaster event, whether they are those affected by the disaster, first responders or others who are assisting in the relief effort – including partners, utility workers and other relief agencies.
COVID-19 has provided the American Red Cross of Colorado with a unique opportunity to fulfill our mission by providing food to a relief agency at the front lines of the pandemic fight.
Red Cross has partnered with the Salvation Army to feed International Medical Relief (IMR) staff who are providing health screening procedures for all visitors to the Colorado State Capitol Building. Red Cross volunteers will deliver lunch daily for the next few weeks to support and thank IMR volunteers for their help in identifying COVID-19 risk to keep Colorado safe and healthy.
The Red Cross will continue to provide care and comfort, and despite a global pandemic, our mission will never change. We will always be there to answer the call. Support from our dedicated volunteers and generous donors makes that possible, and we appreciate their generosity during this unpredictable time.