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American Morning

Interview of American Red Cross President Bernadine Healy

Aired October 12, 2001 - 11:25   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: From the first moments after the World Trade Center disaster, we saw the famous sign of the Red Cross. But the Red Cross is also out to protect us before disaster, not just after.

We're joined now by doctor Bernadine Healy, president of the American Red Cross. Dr. Healy also served as the director of the National Institutes of Health under President Bush's father.

Good to see you. Welcome.

BERNADINE HEALY, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN RED CROSS: Hi, Paula, how are you?

ZAHN: I'm fine, thanks.

I wanted you to comment a little bit on some ads that are being run in newspapers across the country. I guess I was shocked when I saw that only $27 million of the $101 million direct assistance fund that you have has gone directly to people. You got $73 million money out there up for grabs. Why aren't people asking for this money?

HEALY: It's not up for grabs. When we laid out this program, within about a week of this horrible, tragic event on our country. We calculated that there would probably be a need in the range of about $100 million. We didn't have the money at the time, by the way. In fact, we didn't even have half that.

ZAHN: I understand that.

HEALY: But we said this is what we think it will be.

What we did, which I am glad we did, is we instantly started going out proactively and contacting companies. And we started from the top of World Trade Center and worked right down to people who had been lost in both New York and at the Pentagon.

The focus has been in bringing people in. Remember, Paula, these are people that are not used to asking for anything. We now have helped 1,700 families, but even there, they said they don't know if they need something. What we are seeing is that when we establish contact with them, then they say thank you. But we're not asking them to beg; this is not about begging. These were people working who lost the economic backbone of their family. They're facing shortfalls with regard to cash and their family budget, whether for tuition or covering their credit card or paying rent or mortgage, and we're able to do this in the first few months.

Remember, once they get death certificates, once they can get life insurance, once they get other help, that won't kick in for awhile. They will eventually get that. But right now, in some cases, even their bank accounts are frozen. So this is to help people with dignity get through this painful, horrible period of time.

ZAHN: But the bottom line is there are still people out there, as you have said, who have declined the help. They say they simply don't need it. And you are talking -- no, maybe "up for grabs" were the wrong words, but the bottom line remains that there are still a lot of people that need help and you have the money to give them. So do you think this ad campaign you are running in newspapers is going to help?

HEALY: We think so. First of all, I think the key thing is people have to understand this is a gift. This is not welfare; this is a gift to help them get through this time. The important thing is that we have gotten a lot of people. We have 1,700 families we're working with as of today. The number grows. We're sending out about $3 million day. This is still the first month.

Remember, Paula, in the first two weeks, many of these families didn't even want to imagine that they had rally lost someone. They were still hoping that they would be someone who would be rescued. So this is really only the past two weeks. So in the past two weeks, we have been able to reach out in a proactive way to roughly 1,700.

When we had company to work with and had worked with the company's human resource group, it's been easier directly to contact people. Now we're trying to make sure that people -- the firemen, the policemen, people who maybe were contract workers, people who were vendors, people in the restaurants, that might not be available with regard to an HR that can help them. We want to reach them.

Therefore, we are going out proactively in another way, which is a general ad in all the papers in New York, at the Pentagon, in Pennsylvania, with a special number that we have created. Do you know what we are also asking?; we are saying, America help us. If you have next-door neighbor or a loved one who is in this category, who has lost someone, help them make the call, help them fill out the one-page form, which is all we require.

ZAHN: According to some of the latest information we've been getting, you've gotten some $270 million so far of the $700 million pledged. Why are some people in other agencies giving you such a hard time and accusing you of being too aggressive. I mean, isn't this money needed, after all?

HEALY: First of all, this is a gift on the part of the generous American public. The American Red Cross has always seen that kind of generosity either in volunteers, in terms of blood, or in terms of donations during times like this. I think in World War II and in World War I, the American Red Cross itself was getting the equivalent of $3 billion or $4 billion in one year.

We believe that we are a service enterprise. We use this money to do our work at ground zero and three different parts of the Eastern Seaboard. We also work with families for a very long time into the future. We have this cash grant, which is relatively new, just because there was a need. The Red Cross looks at the needs of those we serve and can be creative, can be swift. And that's what we are doing.

I believe that the American people have generous hearts, and I do not believe that the money that is being given to these desperate people or to help us prepare the rest of the country with regard to blood readiness for weapons of mass destruction and future threats, that that generosity suddenly closes off tomorrow and other charities will be neglected. Generosity has a way of making the heart even bigger.

ZAHN: All I can tell you when I walk home from work every day, I see those kids posted on street corners of New York selling bakery goods, to send more money. Certainly, the generosity is there.

One last question for you this morning. People may not know that you've been a practicing doctor most of your life. What is the best thing that an American family can do to heed the warning of the FBI and be prepared?

HEALY: I think that they ought to sit down and have a conversation. I think they ought to think about family preparedness. For example, do you have that good Red Cross disaster kit in your basement, with enough bottled water and nonperishable foods, and prescriptions that you might need and a change of clothes, just in case you had to evacuate quickly -- some coloring books and other things to keep the children happy in the case they had to be sheltered. Also, talk to them about the fact that, yes, we are in a difficult period of time as a nation. But Americans have never been defeated.

And Paula, I will tell you all the cards that we are getting from the children, literally, are heartwarming. The children are the most optimistic. They understand that they can do something. And if you give a child, if you give a family, the sense that they can be part of winning this war, wherever they live in this country, that is the best medicine.

ZAHN: All I know is I talked to a little boy yesterday, and he said that he had been there for four hours on the street corner, and he had raised $19, and he so thrilled -- and I think that says it all.

HEALY: We love them.

ZAHN: Dr. Healy, thank you so much for your time this morning. We know how busy you are. Appreciate it.

HEALY: Thanks, Paula, thanks.

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