 American Red Cross Deploys Two Disaster Relief Workers To Arkansas In Response To Tornadoes
Local Red Cross workers will assist with warehousing
***Red Cross volunteers Walter and Denise Wallheimer will be available for interviews
Tuesday, May 6, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. For more information, please call 314.406.1920***
St. Louis, Monday, May 05, 2008 – The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter is deploying two disaster relief workers, a husband and wife team, to Little Rock to support clean-up efforts after 25 tornadoes touched down and caused massive damage across the Midwest last Thursday and Friday. The state of Arkansas was the hardest hit. The storms killed seven people, damaged or destroyed about 400 homes and knocked out electrical and telephone service for thousands of residents in 18 counties.
Walter and Denise Wallheimer of Caseyville, Ill., are being deployed to Little Rock, Ark., to assist the local Red Cross Chapter with warehousing. The Wallheimers have been Red Cross disaster action team volunteers for the past two and a half years. Their first deployment was for Tropical Storm Ernesto in Florida in August of 2006. They also assisted with disaster relief for the power outages caused by local wind and ice storms, and went to Springfield, Mo., for the winter ice storm of January 2007. In July 2007, both of them were deployed to support the ongoing Red Cross recovery effort with extensive flooding in Kansas. Mr. Wallheimer was deployed five months later to help flood victims near Portland, Oregon. In March 2008, they used the Red Cross emergency response vehicle to deliver food and clean-up kits to flood victims in the St. Louis area.
About Red Cross Emergency Services:
The American Red Cross provides immediate assistance with shelter, food, emotional support and emergency supplies as needed in the wake of disasters and emergencies. The Red Cross is able to respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week and provide a wide range of programs and services throughout the region due to the dedication of volunteers who give freely of their time.
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. |