ROGERS, Ark. — The American Red Cross has been in 5COUNTRY since tornadoes ripped through Benton County on May 26, and Barry Falke, the CEO of the Arkansas and Missouri chapters, says right now they are focusing on the basics.
“The Red Cross is focusing predominantly right now on making sure that all immediate needs are met. So making sure people have a safe place to stay, making sure people have a place to eat, making sure that if they lost prescriptions or health contacts that they have all that is available to them," Falke said.
A few dozen volunteers are also helping survey crews find damage.
“Our volunteers right now are also out in our communities, making sure that damage assessment is being performed. So that before we can kind of give out financial assistance that we can make sure we know exactly which residences were impacted and to what level," Falke explained.
Once they finish assessing damage, they'll move on to phase two.
“The next phase for us, once we finish our damage assessment, will be to provide financial assistance," Falke said. "And so that'll be that next phase when we open up some multi agency resource centers to have the ability to provide financial assistance to anyone who has a majorly destroyed home here in the area."
Falke says he wants to remind everyone his agency is here for the long haul.
“Our interest at the Red Cross is always ensuring that our communities are well taken care of and have what they need. It's really our desire to support communities at this time and we will continue to do that," Falke said. "The Red Cross isn't leaving this area. We are from this area, we are invested, of course in this market too and we will continue to be here for the weeks and months to come as the recovery of this kind of tornado and disaster occurs.”
If you want to volunteer to help or support financially you can visit the Red Cross website here.
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