 Eight Local American Red Cross Disaster Relief Workers
Now Responding to Hurricane Dolly in Texas
Local Red Cross workers specialize in feeding, government relations, sheltering,
logistics and warehousing
***Red Cross volunteers Jim and Sheila Ulbrich will be available for interviews
Friday, July 25, at 8:00 a.m. For more information, please call 314.406.1920***
St. Louis, Thursday, July 24, 2008 - In addition to the two disaster relief workers who deployed from St. Louis on Tuesday, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter is now deploying an additional six local disaster relief workers to support the relief effort underway in Southern Texas as Hurricane Dolly has caused excessive rainfall and major flooding. The St. Louis Area Chapter has also dispatched its Emergency Response Vehicle, which is equipped to serve up to 600 meals at a time throughout the neighborhoods most severely impacted by the disaster.
The American Red Cross in Texas opened shelters and prepositioned supplies in advance of the storm to make sure that people in the affected communities had a safe place to stay and had access to emergency supplies. As the Hurricane shifts to a Tropical Storm, wind and rain remain strong; Red Cross is sheltering a few hundred evacuees and is ready to provide immediate help to thousands once the storms subside and damage assessment begins. More than 200 Red Cross workers have been deployed to the area to assist Texas relief workers at the shelters; 40 Emergency Response Vehicles are on standby across the country. Current relief operations include providing hot meals, damage assessment, sheltering, casework, health services and emotional support.
The following St. Louis Area Chapter relief workers have been/are being deployed in response to Hurricane Dolly:
- Crow Brozovich (Overland, MO), Jim Ulbrich (St. Louis, MO), Sheila Ulbrich (St. Louis, MO), and Mike Wood (Granite City, IL) will distribute meals, snacks, beverages and water to the hundreds of evacuees. Crow and Mike will be providing meals to individuals and families, by driving the St. Louis Area Chapter Emergency Response Vehicle through affected neighborhoods.
- Dale Chambers (Richmond Heights, MO) will serve as a Partner Services Associate, working with community organizations in Southern Texas to coordinate immediate disaster relief services for evacuees.
- Pam Donley (Wentzville, MO) will provide shelter support services, ensuring evacuees have a safe place to stay.
- Teena Kilo (Festus, MO) will gather information about the scope of the disaster including the number of evacuees staying at shelters, the number of meals Red Cross workers serve, the amount of financial commitments, and the number of Red Cross workers and American Red Cross vehicles being used to provide emergency services.
- Bob Whitlow (Belleville, IL) will coordinate the inventory of materials and supplies required to provide immediate relief services to the hundreds of current evacuees and to thousands more once the rain and winds subside. Materials and supplies include clean-up kits, food, water, cots, blankets, and comfort kits.
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.
The American Red Cross is a charity, not a government agency, and 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.
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