Relief Organizations Warn of 'Donor Fatigue' Following Tornado Disaster
By: Scott Packard, SPackard@wdhn.com
Updated: May 4, 2011
To say Susan Holmes has been busy this past week would be a huge understatement.
"Everybody has been so generous. They have things they want to donate, they want to volunteer their time, they want to help in some way," she said.
As the director of the Wiregrass Chapter of the American Red Cross-- organizing it all has kept her busy. Susan knows the need in the devastated areas or North Alabama will not let up anytime soon.
"We're going to need them, not so much right now because we're already there but a week, a month, six months down the road," she continued.
Susan-- like other relief organizations-- is more than pleased with the outpouring of support but she a little concerned.
"We don't want to tire our because they have given so generously. Obviously during Katrina there was a tremendous outpouring, then Haiti, then the Japan tsunami and now we're right back in another one and this is closer," Holmes said.
The Red Cross encourages people to keep donating because this recovery effort will take some time. At the same time they say as you give-- be sure not to deplete yourself because hurricane season is just around the corner.
"It's been a long time since the Wiregrass has been impacted by a hurricane other than opening shelters.That concerns me because it is an ever present danger and people have gotten complacent because they have not had to respond that way," Holmes said.
It's a balancing act between helping those who need help now and those who will need it in the future.
"We don't want to horde anything and we don't want to be selfish but we want to create that awareness," Holmes said.
To learn more about donating to the Red Cross, click here.
"Everybody has been so generous. They have things they want to donate, they want to volunteer their time, they want to help in some way," she said.
As the director of the Wiregrass Chapter of the American Red Cross-- organizing it all has kept her busy. Susan knows the need in the devastated areas or North Alabama will not let up anytime soon.
"We're going to need them, not so much right now because we're already there but a week, a month, six months down the road," she continued.
Susan-- like other relief organizations-- is more than pleased with the outpouring of support but she a little concerned.
"We don't want to tire our because they have given so generously. Obviously during Katrina there was a tremendous outpouring, then Haiti, then the Japan tsunami and now we're right back in another one and this is closer," Holmes said.
The Red Cross encourages people to keep donating because this recovery effort will take some time. At the same time they say as you give-- be sure not to deplete yourself because hurricane season is just around the corner.
"It's been a long time since the Wiregrass has been impacted by a hurricane other than opening shelters.That concerns me because it is an ever present danger and people have gotten complacent because they have not had to respond that way," Holmes said.
It's a balancing act between helping those who need help now and those who will need it in the future.
"We don't want to horde anything and we don't want to be selfish but we want to create that awareness," Holmes said.
To learn more about donating to the Red Cross, click here.
