Federal Government Gives $100-Million to Red Cross
October 8, 2008 | Read Time: 1 minute
Congress approved $100-million in federal aid to the American Red Cross in response to the charity’s request for $150-million to offset the debt it faces after several hurricanes this summer, reports The Washington Post.
The organization traditionally relies on private donations. It last received federal aid in 2004 after four hurricanes hit Florida, the paper reports.
Red Cross president Gail McGovern told the newspaper the organization spent $260-million responding to disasters and took out loans of $200-million. It started a campaign to pay off its debt in September and has raised $42-million so far.
“This has been an absolutely extraordinary year in terms of these big disasters and the challenges they bring,” she tells the Post.
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