LAWTON, Okla_Technology is allowing volunteer groups like the
American Red Cross to ask for and receive donations in a new, 21st
century form. The agency has been using text based donations for many years but
it wasn't until the monster earthquake which destroyed much of Haiti
in 2010 that it became mainstream. Since that time the agency has brought in
hundreds of thousands of dollars per year from people who send a text and give
$10 at a time. This group relies on volunteers and these types of donations to
continue to be able to provide their services.
The widest use of the text base donations came when the
massive earthquake hit the small Caribbean island of Haiti. The 7.0 magnitude quake left
millions in need of help. The American Red Cross said this disaster changed the
game as far as texting based donations go. The Red Cross received over $32
million dollars in donations in the time around the Haiti
earthquake, all coming just $10 at a time. The Red Cross says those funds go
into their overall disaster relief fund which is used to assist those in need
across the United States, and in some cases like Haiti, they assist
internationally as well.
In 2012, donations are down overall but that is actually
a good thing. Red Cross representatives said that donations obviously spike
around times of national or international disasters. The 2010
Haiti earthquake, the 2011
Japan tsunami disasters and
the tornado outbreak which destroyed Joplin,
Missouri and parts of Alabama all boosted the
donation numbers. So far this year the closest thing to a disaster we have had
is the wildfires which hit Colorado and
Oklahoma.
When wildfires struck Oklahoma in July and August the American Red
Cross was on the scene of most of the larger fires providing food and drinks to
firefighters attempting to control the flames. When those fires destroyed dozens
of homes across Oklahoma, the Red Cross provided assistance to
the families affected by the fires. Since the fires destroyed those homes the
Red Cross says they have had nearly 300 overnight stays at their shelters they
have opened up across the state. They have also served over 31,000 meals and
have opened cases with over 370 families.
This year the Red Cross has raised over $300,000 via
text donations alone. The Red Cross says they see a spike in donations when
disaster strike but are now asking for help to re-stock what they have used over
the past month. You can donate to the Red Cross by texting REDCROSS to 90999,
this automatically donates $10 to the American Red Cross which you will then be
billed for on your next monthly statement. Of course you can also donate the old
fashion was as well. Visit the Red Cross website at www.redcross.org and see how you can help
support their efforts.
