St. Louis, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 - The American Red Cross Metro East Service Center is providing emergency support for the family member whose mobile home was destroyed by fire this morning at 5100 Collinsville Road in Fairmont City, Illinois. Red Cross workers are currently talking with the family member to assess emergency needs and provide help as needed; in addition to providing for shelter and basic necessities in the coming days, Red Cross help includes mental health services for the family member who survived the fire and financial support for funeral expenses for the four family members who perished in the fire.

 

The American Red Cross provides immediate assistance with food, clothing, shelter and other needs in the wake of disasters and emergencies. Assistance with funeral expenses is provided by Red Cross when death is directly related to the disaster and when families do not have insurance to cover funeral expenses. The Red Cross is able to respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week and provide a vast array of programs and services throughout the region due to the dedication of thousands of volunteers that give freely of their time.

 

All Red Cross disaster relief assistance is free of charge, thanks to generous public support. For more information about volunteer opportunities, emergency services or a variety of other programs provided by the organization, please call 314.516.2800, or log on to the St. Louis Area Chapter's website at www.redcrossstl.org.  

About the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter:
Founded in 1917, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter celebrates 91 years of dedicated service, providing emergency relief and preparedness training more than 446,600 times each year. The Red Cross is a charity, not a government agency, and depends on the efforts of thousands of volunteers and donors to provide a wide range of community support services, including disaster relief, first aid and CPR training, water safety, services to military personnel and support for blood services. The Chapter, a United Way agency, 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. All disaster relief services are provided free of charge thanks to the generosity of the American people. To learn more about Red Cross programs, volunteer opportunities, and how you can help, contact the St. Louis Area Chapter at 314.516.2800 or www.redcrossstl.org.