All of the emergency shelters have now been closed and families displaced by Cyclone Gita have moved back to their properties, with some living in tents provided by FEMA while others have made repairs to their homes with assistance provided by Red Cross.
The closure of the shelters, announced at the daily briefing at the Emergency Operations Center, has also brought an end to the Red Cross sponsored meals for individuals housed there.
Tomorrow is the last day that the Red Cross will be distributing emergency supplies at the two Points of Distribution at the Methodist Church Hall in Fagaima and the Department of Youth and Women Affairs in Pago Pago.
The Red Cross has introduced Client Assistance Cards, a Visa card that can be used to draw money from an ATM machine or buy supplies.
Only those whose homes were assessed by government teams as having major damage or destroyed are issued these cards. Families whose homes had minor damage are not eligible.
According to Sean Mahoney, the Chief Executive Officer of Red Cross San Diego/Municipal Counties the value of the cards depend on the number of family members in each home.
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The Red Cross official stressed that people should not try to use their cards until the third day after they have been issued because Red Cross has to verify the owner and activate the account.
Mahoney explained why the Red Cross opted to use the Client Assistance Cards instead of issuing paper checks.
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Mahoney who departs the territory Friday night said while there have been some incidents out in the distribution centers, it has not deterred the spirit and morale of the Red Cross volunteers.
He also stressed that the Red Cross has worked well with ASG and has a good relationship with the community.
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