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President Bush Visits Red Cross Shelter; Surveys Flood Damage
Friday, June 20, 2008 — On Thursday, President Bush stopped by the American Red Cross shelter on the Johnson County 4-H Fairgrounds in Iowa City. He brought the message of relief as well as the promise of a new day.
American Red Cross Chairman Bonnie McElveen-Hunter and President George Bush greet those at an American Red Cross shelter in Iowa City. Photo credit: Joe Hansen
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"These are tough times for the people of Iowa City and Cedar Rapids and a lot of other communities in Iowa," said President Bush. "You'll come back better. Sometimes it's hard to see it."
Joe Hansen, an American Red Cross worker, said, "President Bush was very down to earth and spoke with Red Cross volunteers and shelter residents." Hansen commented that seeing the resilient Iowa spirit is uplifting. "They are taking it all in stride and making the best of a bad situation."
During the day, President Bush also went on a helicopter tour of Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, two areas that were hit hard with flooding. He then took a walking tour of Normandy Drive, a street that was inundated by the Iowa River. Alongside him was Chairman of the Board of Governors for the American Red Cross, Bonnie McElveen-Hunter; United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff; Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, David Paulison; as well as the Governor of Iowa, Chet Culver; and Iowa State Senators Charles Grassley and Tom Harkin.
McElveen-Hunter said, "On behalf of the 3,000 Red Cross volunteers and staff who have worked tirelessly in the Mid-West for the past 4 weeks following the devastating tornadoes and now the historic floods of 2008, we are very grateful to President Bush, Secretary Chertoff, FEMA Administrator Paulison and other senior officials for visiting our shelters and thanking our dedicated volunteers in Iowa. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Governor Culver and the countless numbers of state and local officials, the Red Cross is committed to doing everything in its power to provide aid and comfort to Iowans during these challenging days."
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation's blood supply; teaches lifesaving skills; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization – not a government agency – and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at www.redcrosschat.org.
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