RED CROSS CHIEF ADDRESSES WOMEN DEALERS BREAKFAST

Red Cross head McElveen-Hunter (left) speaks with an attendee.

February 3, 2007—“Our purpose on Earth is not to make a dollar, but to make a difference,” American Red Cross chairman Bonnie McElveen-Hunter told attendees of the third annual Women Dealers Breakfast.

Take the Red Cross. The former U.S. ambassador to Finland and CEO/owner of Pace Communications told the audience how proud she feels when she sees Red Cross workers in action at hot spots and disaster zones around the world.

“I head an organization that reaches out to the least, the lost, and the last, when they’re at their most vulnerable,” she said. “Red Cross is the second-best-known brand in the world, second only to Coca-Cola. And I think our mission is a lot more important than theirs.”

McElveen-Hunter said that in spite of criticism the Red Cross received for its performance after Hurricane Katrina, “I will not apologize for the work of our organization. I’ve seen goodness, even greatness, by [Red Cross volunteers] willing to serve others.” The organization’s only failure was in not realizing, initially, how huge a disaster Katrina was. But extensive changes and improvements have been made as a result, and the organization “absolutely is prepared for the next Katrina,” said McElveen-Hunter.

From her extensive travels—including a recent trip to the Darfur refugee camps—McElveen-Hunter said she’s convinced that elevating the status of women and children is key to eliminating poverty. And as a successful entrepreneur, she believes business offers “the greatest possibility” for women to change their status.
At the breakfast, NADA Charitable Foundation chairman Robert Mallon presented McElveen-Hunter with a $5,000 donation to the Red Cross at the breakfast.