"The Red Cross provides for the immediate emergency needs of residents following a major disaster, and we want to ensure that people who qualify for these Red Cross benefits receive them," said Coralie Chun Matayoshi, CEO of the Hawaii State Chapter of the American Red Cross. "While we have been able to speak directly with some of the residents as our teams have been out doing damage assessments on private residences throughout West Hawaii, there are many others we've not been able to contact."

Residents who believe they may qualify for assistance or who have other questions regarding their personal situation can call the Red Cross hotline toll-free at (877) 377-5053.

Red Cross officials said recent calls to that hotline reflect some confusion about the roles played by Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in determining whether FEMA benefits will be made available to residents.

"Red Cross benefits are available to people whose homes are destroyed or uninhabitable, and that is why our assessment teams are focused on homes falling into those categories. FEMA may use our assessments as a starting point in its own evaluation, but it applies its own criteria in determining whether assistance will be provided. So, while we provide information to FEMA based on our assessments, the final decision regarding (FEMA) assistance rests with FEMA."

Donations to assist earthquake victims can be mailed to:

American Red Cross

Hawaii State Chapter

4155 Diamond Head Road

Honolulu, HI 96816