BAPS organizes local hotel
operators to turn over rooms to American
Red Cross. Red Cross relocates families
to needed emergency housing.
SAN
BERNARDINO, CA / Nov. 12, 2003 -- In a
unique partnership, an affiliate of BAPS
-- a local Hindu organization -- joined
forces with the American Red Cross to
provide shelter to local families who
have experienced a total or major loss
due to the recent wildfires in the San
Bernardino County area.
BAPS Charities canvassed local hotel
operators to turn over all available
rooms to the Red Cross in its emergency
relief efforts to support local families
in need of emergency housing. The Red
Cross then worked with the families to
match them with hotel rooms for a weekly
stay.
“The BAPS organization was very
proactive, taking the initiative to
search out hotel operators and find us
the needed hotel rooms,” said Mary
Hickey, an American Red Cross volunteer
working with families in need.
“BAPS has worked with us in the
past, but this relief effort provides an
important model for the future,”
Hickey added.
Govind
Vaghashia, regional director of BAPS
emphasized, “BAPS is
internationally known for its relief
activities at a time of natural calamity.
The Southern California fires forced
thousands of people to flee their homes.
We urged local hotel operators to
dedicate the maximum amount of rooms for
this humanitarian cause -- temporary
shelter.”
The Red
Cross has indicated its interest in
discussing with BAPS a national model for
future joint disaster relief efforts.
