Eight local volunteers and two staff from the American Red Cross deployed to assist with relief efforts from California wildfires
Vero Beach, FL. (October 26, 2007) -- The American Red Cross North Treasure Coast Chapter is deploying eight volunteers and two staff to assist with recovery efforts in Southern California.
Local volunteers departing include Florence Clowes of Vero Beach. Ms. Clowes will be assisting in staffing services which is the management of volunteers. Ken Chapin from Micco and Louie Clinton from Sebastian will assist in mass care support which involves providing snacks, meals, drinks and water using Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) or other vehicles on routes within the impacted areas or from a fixed location, such as a shelter.
Shirley Douglas of Vero Beach is working from the Disaster Operation Center in Washington DC providing coordination of mass care support. Her husband, George Douglas will be in San Diego as a Mass Care Manager.
Staff member, Duane Duncan also from Micco is being deployed to San Diego for staffing services. Staff member, Bill Condon of Port St. Lucie will assist with client services. Mr. Condon will be interviewing displaced residents assessing to assess their immediate needs. David Reid a volunteer from Fort Pierce will also assist with client services.
Leon Griffin of Sebastian will assist with safety and security. Joe Avalos of Vero Beach will assist with communications within the disaster area.
All volunteers departed from the Orlando International Airport earlier this week. Their deployment is expected to last 2-3 weeks.
While sheltering continues across the region, the Red Cross is also providing increased bulk distribution and feeding services for affected residents. The Red Cross is offering a wide range of support focusing on continued sheltering for those who need it, mass feeding, distribution of clean up supplies, mental health support and limited emergency client assistance in some areas.
Our sheltering numbers continue to trend downward. We currently have 23 shelters opened with a population of 4715 residents. Though our overall shelter population is diminishing, we have opened additional shelters in other areas. Here is a snapshot of other Red Cross services:
- The Red Cross has provided over 15,000 overnight stays in its shelters, and 24000 meals during this incident.
- The Red Cross has over 3000 workers on site in Southern California, including volunteers from all 50 states.
- More than 3000 local volunteers are assisting their neighbors in need.
- Red Cross is operating 23 shelters throughout the region, 14 of which are in San Diego.
- Staffing several aid stations throughout the region providing, food/water, health and mental health assessments and distributing cleanup supplies.
- Our Safe and Well site has over 1300 registrations, with more than 300 successful matches.
- The Red Cross continues to distribute water and food to firefighters and emergency workers in the affected areas as they work to battle the blazes and safeguard residents.
Your Local American Red Cross
The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization led by volunteers who provide relief to victims of disaster and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. For more than 80 years, the American Red Cross North Treasure Coast Chapter, which includes Indian River and St. Lucie counties, has been providing shelter for families during a hurricane, flood or fire, and teaching First Aid, CPR, AIDS Prevention and Water Safety. To learn more about the work of the Red Cross in communities, or to make a donation, please call 772-562-2549, or contact the website at: www.ntc-redcross.org.
To Make a Donation:
All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year, disasters like the California wildfires, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of disaster. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation. Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.
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