In Aftermath of Sandy, Donations Pour in to American Red Cross

Nancy Barrett, a Red Cross volunteer from Nevada, manages the evacuation shelter at Pine Belt Arena in Toms River, N.J. Early Monday afternoon, she called a meeting to update shelter residents on storm conditions and answer their questions.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 5 p.m. on Nov. 2.

Members of the UCSF community who want to show support for the relief and recovery of victims from Hurricane Sandy may give to the American Red Cross through Causes.com, an online fundraising organization that UCSF has partnered with before when disaster strikes.

The UCSF community is rallying to help those who need support through these difficult times. In partnership with Causes.com, UCSF has created a simple pathway for donations to the Red Cross.

So far, UCSF has raised about $7,000 in donations to the American Red Cross, which has been operating shelters and offering food, water and relief supplies to areas struck hard by Sandy. On Thursday night, the agency housed almost 6,800 people in nearly 100 Red Cross shelters across eight states, CNN reported. The agency, which has received $35 million in donations through the morning of Nov. 2, has delivered more than 852,000 ready-to-eat meals and snacks so far, and served more than 215,000 meals.

The superstorm, described by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg as the worst storm that the city has ever experienced, struck the East Coast on Monday night killing 97 people in the U.S., destroying houses in fires, floods and gas explosions and leaving scores without electricity, according to CNN. The storm triggered widespread damage to neighborhoods, beachside properties and businesses.

UCSF Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH, issued a letter to the campus community on Oct. 31. "At UCSF, we are inspired and driven by the desire to help others in our communities," she said. "I trust the same spirit and commitment will encourage us to give what we can to those in need. Our thoughts go out to those who have been personally affected by this storm."

Photo by Les Stone/American Red Cross