Feeding the Masses

Dominoes Pizza worker Earl Watts, helps load American Red Cross ERVs with pizza to distribute to residents of Enterprise, Ala., following a deadly tornado that roared through the small south Alabama town on March 1, 2007. (Photo: Jeffery L. Biggs/American Red Cross)

A Slice of Charity

William Score receives hot pizza from American Red Cross ERV worker Hank Desandre from Biloxi, Miss. Score was working to clean debris from a powerful tornado that struck the small south Alabama town of Enterprise on Thursday, March 1, 2007. (Photo: Jeffery L. Biggs/American Red Cross)

Red Cross Works with Partners

ENTERPRISE, Ala.– The American Red Cross is stepping up its assistance in the wake of the March 1 tornado and finding enthusiastic and generous partners in the community and surrounding area.

The Lions Club in Elba, Ala., about 25 miles northwest of Enterprise, delivered a check for $2,700 to the Red Cross disaster operations center in Enterprise on Monday.

In Enterprise, Goodwill offered to accept donations of clothing and other items for tornado victims. Donations will be accepte at the Goodwill store at 114 S. Industrial Blvd. in Enterprise between 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and between 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Friday.

“The Red Cross relies on our partners at Goodwill, Salvation Army and other organizations in the community,” said Sandy Zuiderhoek, manager of in-kind donations for the disaster relief operation in Enterprise. “Because the Red Cross does not solicit small, individual donations or collections of items for emergency relief purposes, our partners are vital to the relief effort.”

The Red Cross does accept sizable, bulk donations when they meet the needs of a particular relief operation. In Enterprise, the Red Cross is distributing rakes and other clean-up tools that were donated in bulk for debris removal.

Elba Lions donation

The local Lions Club of Elba, Alabama donates money to help their community recover from recent tornado.
[From left: Steve Tolver (Elba Lions Club), Brian McLead (Elba Lions Club), Ron Speaks (American Red Cross), James Kelley (Elba Lions Club)]

Bulk Distribution in Enterprise

The American Red Cross has three bulk distribution sites open for citizens affected by the Thursday, March 1, 2007 tornado in Enterprise, Alabama.  Hours are 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.  The Red Cross will be handing out:

• rakes
• gloves
• shovels
• trash bags
• coolers
• clean-up kits
• water
• snacks

Items are available at the following locations:

• West College Ave. and Meredith St. (map)
• YMCA on Highway 27 (map)
• Coffee County Chapter (map)

Freezing Temps Expected

The shelter at First Baptist Church of Enterprise will be open tonight, Sunday, March 4, to accommodate tornado victims as temperatures drop near freezing.

American Red Cross shelter
First Baptist Church (Map)
302 North Main Street

News from Enterprise

Bullet points:

• Enterprise Mayor Kenneth Boswell states that city water is now safe to drink.
• More from Boswell’s news conference:
  • “There are not enough words within me to thank everyone…” Those were the words that Enterprise Mayor Kenneth Boswell opened a press conference with Sunday, March 04, 2007. Mayor Boswell, addressing media and citizens about the recovery efforts in Enterprise, said that the response from volunteers across the Wiregrass region of Alabama – and across the state – has been overwhelming, and that organizations from faith-based to the Red Cross have worked tirelessly to provide needed relief for the citizens of his battered community.
  • As of Sunday, March 04, 2007, there were no missing persons reported in the Enterprise, Alabama area.
• Bulk distribution sites:
  • West College Ave. and Meredith St. (map)
  • YMCA on Highway 27 (map)
  • Coffee County Chapter (map)

Finding Loved Ones

March 4, 2007
Christi Harlan
American Red Cross

ENTERPRISE, Ala. — With power outages and downed phone lines, people in Enterprise are still looking for loved ones three days after the March 1 tornado, but they are finding help with donated cell phones and the Web site of the American Red Cross.

A 78-year-old woman whose home was destroyed spent three nights in the Red Cross shelter at the First Baptist Church of Enterprise, thinking she had no family to assist her. With a cell phone donated by Unicel, the Coffee County Red Cross Chapter was able to reach the woman’s daughter — a daughter she hadn’t seen in 30 years, according to Elaine Roberts, Disaster Director of Operations for the Coffee County chapter.

“We’ve heard that some areas may go a month without telephone service, so these donated cell phones will be invaluable,” Roberts said.

Separately, the Red Cross can help reunite family members and loved ones through registration on Safe and Well, available at www.redcross.org. On the Web site, people who want to let their loved ones know that they are safe and well can choose from a list of standard messages to inform family members of their well-being.

People who are seeking loved ones can search the list of those who have registered themselves as “safe and well.” The results of a successful search will display a loved one’s First Name, Last Name, an “As of Date”, and the “safe and well” messages selected.

All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of these tornadoes and thousands of disasters across the country each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of disaster. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster, please do so at the time of your donation. Call 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.  

Media Contact changes

The American Red Cross has established a disaster relief operation for Alabama. There are now public affairs staff members on site who can assist with information and interview requests.

Please check the Media Contacts page for changes, and use that as your first point of contact for Red Cross inquiries.

Coordination

RED CROSS AND EMA COORDINATE: Sue Beckman (at right), executive director of the Coffee County, Alabama Chapter of the American Red Cross, along with Coffee County Disaster Services worker Jim Long (center), discuss Red Cross operations in Enterprise following a deadly tornado that struck on Thursday, March 1, 2007 with Coffee County EMA Director John Tallis.

(Photo: Jeffery L. Biggs/American Red Cross)