In the midst of the ongoing health crisis, the Jalisco Red Cross this week began its annual “colecta” (collection), which has the goal this year of raising 185 million pesos.
“More now than ever we need a strong Red Cross,” said Joanna Santillán Álvarez, who represented Governor Enrique Alfaro at the launch of the 2020 collection.
Apart from private donations, each year the Jalisco Red Cross receives more than 56 million pesos from a surcharge slapped onto the annual refrendo (vehicle registration tax) paid by car owners in the state. The greater part of this year’s haul from the surcharge is being used to purchase materials and equipment for the Covid-19 outbreak, said Jalisco Red Cross President Miguel Ángel Domínguez Morales.
The Jalisco Red Cross comprises 29 delegations and 17 bases, and carries out 400,000 medical services a year. It has a fleet of 131 ambulances, 19 rescue units, and 3,381 volunteers.