Update 6/6/18: Yes! We made it past the half way mark and our match donor will let us expand the campaign to June 30th to make sure all the pledges and gifts can come in before end of the fiscal year.
We have seen volunteers, new businesses, staff, and board members invest in this project and we are so thankful. If you can continue to share this page on your Facebook that would be greatly appreciated. We will continue to accept donations until June 30th. Remember all gifts will go to purchasing our new ERVs in Maine!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Update 5/16/18: We have made GREAT PROGRESS so far. We just need a little bit more to reach goal. Our DEADLINE has been extended to June 1st. If we succeed the donor would match the last $20,000 closing the campaign and will be donating an extra $5,000 to start the campaign for the next replacement ERV! WAHOO!!
Update 5/1/18: Great News, last night we received a note from a generous supporter challenging us to raise $20,000 by May 15th. If we succeed the supporter would match the last $20,000 and close the campaign. Share this Campaign on Facebook and with your friends and work colleagues. Let’s get this job done!!!
When Maine and the nation faces major disasters, the American Red Cross 's Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) is on the frontline. Maine's three ERVs are over 10 years old and need to be replaced. Our ERVs traveled all over the country- responding to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma- and now they are responding to home fires, winter storms, wind storms, and flooding here in Maine.Communities depend on this vehicle. Local fire departments, Wardens, and town managers often ask the Red Cross to bring the ERV to help with a multi-town responses like a Search and Rescue or wildfires to provide hundreds of meals or warm shelter.
Each ERV costs $150,000. Maine is $40,000 away!
We aim to reach our goal by June 2018. Your gift will make an impact. With help from generous individuals like you, the Red Cross can be there faster, stronger and with greater efficiency. As some of our vehicles near or surpass their lifespans, the Red Cross is asking our most dedicated supporters to step up to ensure we can deliver aid to those in need.
All of Maine's current ERVs have mileage limitations due to maintenance issues and are not capable of hauling an emergency trailer. With 12 emergency trailers from Madawaska to Alfred it is important we increase the our towing capacity. Each emergency trailer has enough cots, blankets and supplies to open up a 100 person human shelter immediately. With the ERV capability to transport 2 pallets of water and serve 1200 meals at once, this ERV will increase our efficiency for delivering more goods and services to survivors of a disaster.
Examples of what your gift symbolically can do when our new ERV arrives :
$100- Covers the cost of Red Cross clean-up kits for 5 families – These kits, stored and ready for distribution nationwide, contain items needed to begin recovery immediately after a disaster. Each kit comes with a sectional handle with mop, broom, squeegee and push broom heads, pail, scrub brush, sponge, disinfectant, detergent/degreaser, bleach, trash bags, gloves and dust mask.
$200- Provides a full day of food and shelter to a family of 4 - This service includes providing breakfast, lunch and dinner, the costs to mobilize and distribute a cot, two blankets and a comfort kit as well as the costs of Red Cross workers to provide this service.
$300- Covers the daily cost to deploy an Emergency Response Vehicle - This specialized vehicle was designed by the Red Cross to serve people affected by disasters by driving through affected communities to deliver meals, snacks, relief supplies, information and comfort. This daily cost includes the cost of fuel and maintenance.
$1000- Provides food and shelter for a family of 4 for 5 days -This service includes providing breakfast, lunch and dinner, the costs to mobilize and distribute a cot, two blankets and a comfort kit as well as the costs of Red Cross workers to provide this support.
$5000- Average cost of opening or preparing a shelter for 1 night – This service includes providing breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, the costs to mobilize and distribute a cot, two blankets and a comfort kit for 150 people. This figure also includes the costs of Red Cross workers to provide this support.
$7,500- Average cost of fully stocking an ERV with needed supplies for 3 days - This service includes providing lunch, dinner and snacks, the travel costs to deploy 2 staff members to operate the Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) and vehicle maintenance and fuel costs.
