Back St. Louis, Thursday, November 10, 2005 – The American Red Cross hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the new St. Charles County Service Center at 224 Mid Rivers Center in St. Peters on Friday, November 4. The ceremony highlighted the diverse programs and services of the American Red Cross, while acknowledging the generous contributions of St. Charles County donors who have made the transition to the expanded facility a reality. “The St. Charles County Service Center’s new location is more central to the growing population of the county and is closer to all major highways, making it easier for residents to access the facility, while allowing Red Cross staff and volunteers to continue serving our clients in the most efficient manner,” said Joseph C. White, CEO of the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter. “Our new and expanded facility supports the ongoing mission of the Red Cross to help the public prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters and emergencies, and we thank our generous donors for their support of this capital campaign.” The Red Cross provides significant resources for local individuals in a time of need. Over the last year, the volunteers and staff from the St. Charles County Service Center have responded to more than 45 fires, providing emergency assistance in the form of food, clothing, shelter and mental health counseling for more than 100 local residents. Assistance has also been provided to more than 1,200 emergency personnel who respond on the scene of these local disasters. Finally, nearly 100 individuals from more than 40 families received emergency rent, mortgage and utility assistance over the last year. In addition to disaster response, preparing for the unexpected is also an important component of Red Cross outreach. Over the last year, more than 12,700 local residents have received important information on how to prepare themselves for the unexpected through nearly 270 Community Disaster Education presentations, while more than 750 residents have been trained in First Aid and CPR, and nearly 350 community blood drives have been staffed by Red Cross volunteers. For more information on Red Cross programs and services in St. Charles County, please call the St. Charles County Service Center at 636.397.1074 or log on to www.redcrossstl.org. About the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter: Founded in 1917, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter provides emergency and preparedness assistance more than 407,000 times each year. The Red Cross depends on the efforts of thousands of volunteers and 100 staff to provide a wide range of community support services, including disaster relief, first aid and CPR training, water safety, adult daytime professional care, services to military personnel, assistance to homeless families, and support for blood services. The Chapter provides programs and services to St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Jefferson County in Missouri, as well as Monroe, St. Clair (including Scott Air Force Base) and part of Madison County in Illinois. # # #

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