The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-11-20

u4%s~SAASsNNAtSS cause of the reduction and tiuc- tuation in the amounts of the Fed. eral relief funds, and many times men were turned over to the Red Gross to care for during temporary intervals"
 "The care of service and ex-ser- vice men has been one of the reg. ular duties of the Red Gross, and just one more reason why It's work Is particularly attractive to mil- lions of people throughout the country today"
 Wonderful Work Tn discussing the work of the Red Cross, Rodney Chase, chairman of the Watertown subscription drive, said yesterday that the Red Gross had given relief to the victims of over i60 disasters in thirty-nine states during the last year.
 One of the worst disasters was of course the terrible spring. floods. when requests for help came pour ing in to Red Cross headquarters in Washington from all sections of the country by telephone, telegram and letters. Aid was sent to sufferers ct once by the Red Gross. Trained disaster relief directors rushed to the scenes of destruction and dis- as ter by fast trains, automobiles, by boats and by aeroplanes, and in some places where all transporta- tion was out of the question, even by foot.
 The number of families helped through those disaster periods dur ing the last year amounted to l3i.. GOO people. In this relief work the Red Gross spent S6,232, ,0B2, although at the end of the Red Cross year on July 30th these figures were still incomplete as the full expense of caring for the victims of the spring floods and tornadoes were not yet In. In these spring disasters tho Red Cross was called on to help 77,0o0 families from this cause alone.
 Fires lead in tho list of disasters, requiring Red Cross assistance for victims. Floods came next, with thirty-five main catastrophics. There thirty-two tornadoes, eleven major epidemics, eight hurricanes, five typhoons, three ship wrecks, and two earthquakes. Tn addition, the Red Cross gave help at least once in cases of forest fires, land slides, explosions and other such causes.
 The Red Gross has given assist ance in the form of food, clothing, shelter, medical aid, or help in the building of homes, to more than i,200 scenes of disaster, large and small. Thousands of families left homeless and hopeless by the de- structive forces of nature might otherwise have sunk to starvation were 1t not for the helping hand of the American people through the Red CrosS, and those people who actively supported and worked for 1t throughout the years. Much of the funds that help in this disas- ter relief work come from money contributed ct r0ll-call time, when ht6 drive for annual membership, from November iith to Thanksgiv- Ing day, comes each year.
 Other Activities
 Tn addition to the relief work that ono commonly thinks I as connected with the Red Gross, tho Red Cross has many other activities through the year. Last year, for example, the Red Cross public health nurses gave care to 233,6i8 persons, and made over ono million visits to tho sick. Tn their school and pre- school work, the nurses, cooperating with doctors, examined 67l,0b7 chile dren. Of this number they found 342,88i with physical defects, and arranged for curative treatment in 200,O8O cases. Through courses in the care Of the sick. and In home sanitation, over b3,000 persons, in- cluding men, women, girls and boys were awarded certificates upon completing the courses prescribed and taught by the Red Gross.
 Maternity and infant care was given by our nurses, even In iSo- lated mountain communities, in drought stricken areas, farm areas, and in islands of the American coast. Red Cross nurses were also sent into c number of epidemics this year, including serious out- breaks of typhoid, meningitis, pella- gra, scarlet fever, and bronchial dis. eases following dust storms.
 The Red Gross organized nearly i34,000 volunteers, who produced during the last year 68B,074 gar. ments, 43,Bb7,ii0 Surgical dressings, B42,227 pages of Braille printing for blind readers, and Bi,l36 pints of canned goods for the needy. AS a vital part of the American life, the Red Cross has fund itself drawn closer and closer to the American people during the past year, and each year people realize more and more how necessary it is to assist the great work this organization is doing,