September 2008 Archives

We've described some simple ideas for benefiting the American Red Cross through your estate plan, but it's important to know that the Red Cross can work with you on highly sophisticated arrangements, as well. Here are just a few possibilities:

Pay a lifetime income to your heirs. A charitable trust can be established under your will to provide lifetime income for family members, with the remainder passing to the Red Cross when the trust ends. Your estate would be entitled to a charitable deduction for the value of our right to receive the property in the future. You also can leave funds or securities to the Red Cross and we will agree to provide a charitable gift annuity to a relative or friend for life.

Reduce "death taxes" with a lead trust. You might consider a gift technique that allows you to give the American Red Cross merely the income from investment assets for a number of years, with all assets later returning to your family. This technique - the charitable lead trust - lets you control the eventual distribution of all your property and share a meaningful gift between your family and the American Red Cross. Lead trusts are generally used to reduce federal transfer taxes (gift or estate taxes), and deductions will be especially high if you fund such a trust now, during this time of low interest rates.

Consider beneficiary designations. Don't forget that life insurance policies, IRAs and most financial accounts and brokerage accounts can be made payable to the Red Cross at death without any need to change your will. Remember, too, that revocable living trusts can name the American Red Cross to receive benefits during life and at death.

We encourage you to contact our office at 1-800-797-8022, ext. 5, plndgiving@usa.redcross.org or log on to www.redcrosslegacy.org if any of these ideas are of interest to you, or if you have already made a gift through your estate plan. News of bequest intentions is extremely helpful in our future planning and gives us the opportunity to thank you.

There's just one month left from the Tri-County Red Cross's inaugural golf outing, the Last Chance 2008 Golf Tournament held on October 20, 2008 at Watchung's Twin Brooks Country Club.

"This may be your last chance for a major golf outing in 2008, a full day of fun, golf and entertainment," said Tri-County Red Cross chapter chairman Doug Reeder of Warren.  "We'll serve you brunch, 18 holes of golf, an open bar and end the day with a dinner reception and silent auction."

All proceeds from the golf tournament go to support disaster relief efforts of the Tri-County Red Cross in Union, Somerset and Middlesex Counties.  Golf prizes include golf bags, Dell Computer, Bose Stereo and a $50,000 hole in one contest. 

The Tri-County chapter responds to more than 60 local disasters every year, and has disaster volunteers serving in Mississippi and Texas responding to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.  For instance, Winnie Clark, her daughters and their children lost their home to a fire last year, and her son John explained what it meant to have the Tri-County Red Cross there to help.

"I was on the phone with my mother, and she was telling me they had no idea where they were going to stay.  Then she said, 'The Red Cross just got here' and I knew it was going to be OK.  Thank God the Red Cross was there for my family."

Last Chance 2008 Golf Tournament sponsors, golfers and silent auction participants make the Red Cross Disaster Relief program possible, helping families like Winnie's recover from disaster.

NY Giants Quarterback Eli Manning is a celebrity spokesman for the American Red Cross, and urges you to support our efforts to respond to disasters during this hurricane season and beyond. You can contribute by volunteering or donating below.

Another great way to help and have fun is to join the Ti-County Red Cross Last Chance 2008 Golf Tournament as a golfer, sponsor or silent auction donor.

 

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September 12, 2008 - The Tri-County Red Cross participated in the annual Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) Disaster Drill along with local, county, state and federal government agencies including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), Office of Emergency Management (OEM), Transit Security Authority (TSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Newark and Elizabeth Fire and Police departments. 

The Tri-County Red Cross Disaster Action Team members were on the scene providing canteen services to these participants as well as providing mental health services to both the "victims" of the disaster as well as the responders. 

Here are some pictures of the event:

 

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September is not even two weeks old and the Tri-County Red Cross has been very active providing disaster preparedness and relief.

Over the Labor Day weekend two Tri-County Red Cross volunteers -- Terri Esposito and Chuck Sweetman -- were dispatched to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to support shelters and relief efforts in expectation of Hurrican Gustav.  Fortunately the damage was much less than expected, but there was still significant need.

Rather than turn around and return to New Jersey after most people were able to return home, Terri and Chuck stayed on to assist in preparations for Hurricane Ike, which beat up parts of Florida and currently is buffetting the Texas Coast.  Chuck, a mental health specialist, is in Florida for the cleanup and Terri is in Texas helping people through the worst of the storm.

On Wednesday the chapter responded to a major apartment fire in Scotch Plains which displaced four families and resulted in significant injuries to three Plainfield residents who were employed at the complex where the fire broke out.  The 12 family members were provided with hotel rooms and enough funding to purchase food for a week and two changes of clothing.  More residents are receiving assistance as the damage is assessed.

More coverage of the fire and the Red Cross response is in the Star Ledger and Courier News.

In order to be able to respond to disasters like these the Tri-County Red Cross engages in preparedness efforts, training volunteers well in advance of disasters and taking part in exercises with other disaster relief entities to ensure we are all ready should the worst occur.

Today more than three dozen Red Cross volunteers and staff are participating in a disaster drill at the Newark Liberty Airport.  The Tri-County Red Cross is providing volunteers, materials and food for the exercise which is intended to test our plans for responding to a catastrophe at the regions largest airport.  The airport is situated in both Newark and Elizabeth, NJ, and is in both the Northern New Jersey Red Cross and the Tri-County Red Cross.

You can support all these efforts -- national disaster response, local disaster relief and regional preparedness -- by donating $25 or more using one of the buttons below.  We receive no government funding, yet are required by both the federal and state government to provide disaster relief.  We are able to do so only though the gifts of our fantastic volunteers and donors. 

Please consider making a gift of $25 or more to the American Red Cross, Tri-County Red Cross, or both.

Donate to the Tri-County Red Cross Disaster Fund for local disaster response		Donate to the American Red Cross Disaster Fund for national disaster response		Split your gift equally between American and Tri-County Red Cross disaster response funds
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The Tri-County Red Cross raises funds for both its own local Disaster Fund and for the American Red Cross Disaster Fund.  Gifts given to the local fund support disaster preparedness and relief, including the 62 house fires we responded to in the last year.  More than 100 families were able to have shelter, food and clothing just when they needed it and without delay due to the volunteer efforts of our Disaster Action Teams and gifts from people like you.

Gifts for the American Red Cross Disaster Fund go to support larger disasters such as the flooding of Bound Brook, Hurrican Ike, 9/11 and others that are beyond the ability of a single Red Cross chapter to respond.

Using the links below you can choose to give locally, nationally or to split your gift between the two.  Your gift of $25 or more helps us make a difference in American lives every day.

Donate to the Tri-County Red Cross Disaster Fund for local disaster response		Donate to the American Red Cross Disaster Fund for national disaster response		Split your gift equally between American and Tri-County Red Cross disaster response funds
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The Tri-County Red Cross Disaster Team responded to a major apartment fire in Scotch Plains today.  We are providing support to at least a dozen people and expect more people may need our assistance as they arrive home from work.

The Red Cross will provide each family with shelter and money for seven days of food and two changes of clothing.  We expect to be spending thousands of dollars to provide the support these families need in order to recover from losing their homes.

Funding for disaster relief comes completely through local donations from individuals, businesses and organizations.  Please consider donating $25 or more to replenish the fund to ensure the Tri-County Red Cross is always prepared to respond to disasters in our community.

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Coverage in the Star Ledger

Coverage in the Courier News

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Your gift will go to preventing, preparing and responding to disasters in Union, Somerset and Middlesex Counties.

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The Tri-County Red Cross, which has two of its Disaster Action Team Leaders responding to the Gulf Coast for Hurricane Gustav, was ready this weekend for Hannah.  Fortunately there was no need locally to activate Disaster Action Team members locally.

However, the chapter was in contact with the Union County Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and was placed on standby by the North Plainfield OEM after localized flooding threatened a number of homes.  More than a dozen Red Cross volunteers responded that they were ready to staff shelters immediately if the need arose, and many more were ready to work throughout the weekend.

The Red Cross also responded to a family flooded out of their home in Rahway, but ultimately the family was able to find housing without our assistance.

The Tri-County Red Cross was also in touch with OEMs in towns with history of flooding, including Green Brook in Somerset County and Cranford in Union County.

If you are interested in being trained in disaster relief and response so we can be ready in the event another storm hits our communities, please contact the Tri-County Red Cross Emergency Services Department at (908) 353-2500 or disaster@tricountyredcross.org.

You can donate to the American Red Cross Disaster Fund using the Google Checkout link below, by calling (908) 756-6414, or mailing a check to Tri-County Red Cross, 332 W. Front Street, Plainfield, NJ 07060.  Please be sure to mark the check or tell the receptionist that your contribution is for the American Red Cross Disaster Fund to ensure the money goes there.

You can also split your contribution, if you prefer, to the local Tri-County Red Cross chapter.  We will honor your wishes as to where the money is dedicated.

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