Donations of Unsolicited Goods and In-Kind Items

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Donations of Unsolicited Goods and In-Kind Items

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Donations of Unsolicited Items and 
Impact on Relief Operations

When disasters strike, whether domestically or internationally, people want to help and often offer individual and/or collections of goods or in-kind items to show their support for the victims.

However, the Red Cross does not have the capacity to accept or collect, and does not actively solicit individual or collections of in-kind donations of goods in times of disaster.  

In past disasters, Hurricane Mitch for example, donations of millions of pounds of clothing, food and medicine came in forming a backlog that actually impacted (hampered) relief efforts.

Facilitation – Processing of individual items requires valuable and, often, scarce resources. The value of the items is outweighed by the expense to the emergency activities relief workers are attempting to perform.

Appropriateness - Spontaneous individual donations or unsolicited collections of items may not be appropriate for the relief effort or that there will be enough of a particular item to distribute them equitably.

Cost/Transportation - Shipping donated goods is costly and particularly difficult in the aftermath of a disaster. Routes in to disaster sites are often damaged or impassable and can be clogged easily with shipments of non-priority items.  

Local Procurement of Goods - The Red Cross makes every attempt to procure items locally to maximize donations by minimizing transportation and s to rage expenses. Local procurement also ensures that the items distributed to disaster victims are appropriate for their culture and diet. 

Monetary Gifts – Financial support is the best form of assistance those wishing to help can provide those impacted by this tragedy. 

There is a tremendous outpouring of support from the public for victims of this disaster. The best way to help those affected is to make a contribution to a disaster relief organization like the American Red Cross. Your donation will allow the Red Cross to purchase relief items directly in the region, eliminating the costs of shipping and transport from the United States.

Please support the American Red Cross International Response Fund by calling your local Red Cross chapter at (253) 474-0400 or 1-800-HELP-NOW or making an secure online contribution.

You can help those affected by this crisis and countless others around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need.

Contributions to the International Response Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross Mount Rainier Chapter, ATTN: International Response Fund. Internet users can make a secure online contribution.  

You can help those affected by the recent tsunamis in South Asia, the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and Chad, and countless others around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance, and other support to those in need. 

Contributions to the American Red Cross International Response Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross Mount Rainier Chapter. 

Internet users can make a secure online contribution (Click Here). 

American Red Cross Mount Rainier Chapter
ATTN: American Red Cross International Response Fund

Pierce County:

American Red Cross 
Mount Rainier Chapter 
ATTN: International Response Fund
1235 South Tacoma Way
Tacoma, WA 98409-8048
(253) 474-0400

Thurston-Mason Counties:

American Red Cross 
Mount Rainier Chapter
ATTN: International Response Fund
2618 Twelfth Ct SW
Olympia , WA 98502-5715
(360) 352-8575

Lewis County:

American Red Cross 
Mount Rainier Chapter
ATTN: International Response Fund
734 South Market Blvd.
Chehalis, WA 98532-3420
(360) 748-4607

By Phone:

(253) 474-0400  Pierce County
(360) 352-8575  Thurston-Mason Counties
(360) 748-4607  Lewis County

Or by calling 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish).