Impact 9-11: Meeting human needs

Cheryl Searcy is proud of the people of the Ozarks.

Searcy is executive director of the American Red Cross Disaster and Safety Services, which sent 55 local volunteers to the 9-11 disaster sites and donated more than $400,000 to the $988-million Red Cross Liberty Fund.

"The number of people that responded was just overwhelming," Searcy said. "Our chapter sent more (volunteers) than the Kansas City chapter or the St. Louis chapter."

However, Searcy was not among the volunteers to serve hands-on. "It's probably one of the biggest disappointments in my life that I didn't get to go. There was so much to do here locally; my responsibility was here to the community," she said.

For the six months following 9-11, Searcy and the local operation were consumed with local volunteering, community activities and assemblies, speaking engagements and validating and acknowledging local donations for 9-11 relief efforts.

"It literally took months just to handle those kinds of activities ... but currently, it's back to business as far as local needs."

However, donations are down right now, and Searcy thinks it's partly due to the generosity that followed the 9-11 emergencies.

"People gave so generously to the Red Cross that locally, we are finding ourselves with a shortfall of funding. Those needs are still there, and our local funding has decreased," she said, by as much as 27 percent. Nationwide, local chapter funding is down 20 percent to 35 percent.

Searcy fears that 9-11 may have raised expectations for Disaster and Safety Services' ability to respond in future disasters, but noted that "We can only provide assistance based on need and what we have as resources."

Searcy said the Red Cross is still meeting local needs, but is emphasizing preparedness more. "Beyond the terrorism that we have a heightened concern about, people maybe have gotten a little lackadaisical about the day-to-day preparedness. The things we know are going to happen tomorrow," like fires, floods and tornadoes.

by Eric Olson

SBJ Reporter