Red Cross assistance $250,000 over budget

For its fiscal year that ends June 30, the Red Cross has provided $781,032 in financial assistance – up 94 percent from the previous year, and exceeding the organization’s budgeted $512,000. The budget includes costs of providing services, such as gasoline and worker expenses.

Projected assistance for the remainder of the fiscal year could put the organization’s disaster assistance as much as 83 percent over budget, according to Red Cross spokesperson Marisa DeClue.

The organization has responded to more disasters this year, mostly fires, DeClue said, but families needing assistance also have grown in size. About 10 percent of the year’s disaster cases have involved families of five or more people, increasing the amount of financial aid required.

To date, the local Red Cross has responded to 303 disaster cases, compared to 234 last year. The Red Cross has helped 1,010 people so far, up from 676 the previous year.

Those figures do not reflect disasters that received national reimbursement, such as hurricanes and tornadoes.

DeClue said local Red Cross services will not be compromised, but the organization is asking for the community’s continued support.

“We know that summers tend to be slower giving months, as well – people are going on vacation, so their financial commitments are elsewhere,” she said. “We will continue to provide services and just count on our donors to make sure they’re helping us out.”