Letter to Mr. David McLaughlin, ARC National Headquarters

February 9, 2004

Mr. David McLaughlin
ARC National Headquarters
2025 East Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006

Dear Mr. McLaughlin,

I write to express my concern over the potential closure of the Wyoming County Chapter of the American Red Cross. As you know, the Wyoming County Chapter has served the residents of Western New York for more than 120 years, accepting blood donations and providing disaster relief services.

The work this chapter has done on behalf of Wyoming County residents deserves our praise and support. Currently the Wyoming County Chapter is on site and assisting victims of home fires in less than two hours of a call. If regional ARC representatives have to drive in from surrounding counties to aid these situations, relief will surely take longer. Wyoming ARC provides a medical transportation service for the elderly, which many area seniors rely on to get to and from doctor appointments and hospital visits. The Wyoming Chapter also operates the county's only medical equipment loan program, allowing residents to borrow items like wheelchairs and crutches, instead of purchasing them. If these services are moved outside of Wyoming County, disaster relief will take longer, and the basic day-to-day services this organization provides will not be available to the people who depend on them.

Please do not allow these vital services to be cut from the Wyoming County community. I ask you to reconsider your decision, and continue to support the Wyoming County Chapter of the American Red Cross. Thank you for your consideration of this matter. If you need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me or my staff.

Sincerely,

Charles Schumer
United States Senator