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Pictured from (l-r) Moskowitz Foundation’s Local Director of Public Affairs Sal Flores with Red Cross Team Leader of Disaster Services Dr. Mark Chung and Barbara Chapla. Photo by Tammye McDuff.
By Tammye McDuff
The Moskowitz Foundation is known for their generosity, and over the years has donated to numerous organizations and charities. Friday evening, the Foundation once again opened their hearts by donating $100,000 to the Red Cross to assist Hurricane Harvey victims.
Chamber Board Chair Dr. Mark Chung was spotted at the KNBC staffing call center, volunteering for the Red Cross and raising funds towards Hurricane Harvey relief. Chung and Red Cross Team Leader of Disaster Services, Barbara Chapla received the Foundation’s donation Friday evening, September 1st at the Hawaiian Gardens Bingo Club.
The Red Cross has over 21 shelters in Texas and over 30,000 hurricane victims housed in those shelters. There are over 2,000 volunteers serving on the ground and 30 have deployed from the Los Angeles County region, with more on standby ready to deploy.
“All the funds donated helps pay for air fare, supplies, blankets, ready to eat meals, cots, all sorts of supplies,” said Chung,” we know that this storms surging is worse than Hurricane Katrina, because of the extensive area and the number of people affected by its devastation.”
The aestimated amount of water that was dumped on Texas has risen from 9 trillion gallons to 15 trillion gallons.
The Red Cross and the military are helping to fly victims out of the affected areas like Beaumont, “These people won’t be able to return to their homes for months,” added Chung, “they will need additional housing and supplies.”
Partnering with the American Red Cross is the Salvation Army that is providing the kitchen and meals at the Southern Baptist Church and other various organizations that are working together.
“As far as how long we are going to be in Texas,” notes Chapla, “well, it will be quite awhile. We have to meet immediate needs now, and then there is the next stage of deploying case workers, whether actually on the ground or virtually, to assist Texas in picking up the pieces and putting their lives back together.”
Many Texas residents did not invest in flood insurance, they were not eligible and therefore did not need to purchase it.
Chung went on to say that what the Red Cross offers is temporary shelter, emphasizing that the shelters are open to everyone regardless of race, religion, creed or documentation status. “We do everything we can to relieve suffering from advising on procedures to medical assistance. We find out person by person, family by family – what they need and how we can help them,” adding “we do not leave until out last client has been taken care of.”
“It was one of those moments,” said Moskowitz Foundation’s local Director of Public Affairs, Sal Flores, “as soon as I saw the disaster and devastation in Texas, I picked up the phone to contact Mrs. Moskowitz and she was already on the phone calling me for the same reason.”
To date the Irving Moskowitz Foundation has donated $1.4 million dollars to hurricane and disaster relief since 1998.
