 Red Cross Focuses Relief Efforts on Winfield in the St. Louis Area
While moving into the next phase of operations, St. Louis Area Chapter keeps watchful eye
on Winfield and St. Charles County as it continues leading efforts in Missouri and Illinois
St. Louis, Monday, June 23, 2008 – With community efforts underway to shore up the secondary levee just east of Winfield and provide more sandbaggers, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter is keeping its shelter at Winfield High School open for as long as needed. Although the Red Cross has consolidated its disaster operations locally, the organization stands ready to respond quickly if conditions change. In St. Charles County alone, there is 1 shelter on stand-by and more than 100 volunteers on alert to support any and all relief efforts. Anyone needing Red Cross assistance can call 314.516.2700.
- OPEN – Winfield High School – 3920 East Highway 47 – Winfield, MO
While providing shelter services as needed, serving over 3,575 meals and snacks, and continuing to support emergency responders with food, water, sunscreen and more, Red Cross has entered its next phase of operations involving damage assessments. Teams of trained disaster relief volunteers are now assessing damages to homes in affected communities.
In addition, the St. Louis Area Chapter has taken a proactive role in helping other Red Cross chapters throughout the Midwest by serving as the regional lead in the disaster relief efforts for Missouri and Illinois. As the lead, the St. Louis Area Chapter, recently recognized by the American National Red Cross as one of the most prepared communities in the nation, is sharing its administrative and operational resources by serving as headquarters to coordinate and support the local relief work across the bi-state region. Over 120 Red Cross workers from the St. Louis area are now on the job; most volunteers are working on the scene in Missouri and Illinois communities, but 16 have been deployed as disaster relief volunteers providing sheltering, disaster assessments and disaster mental health services to those affected in Indiana and Iowa.
The Midwest floods follow several extremely busy months for the Red Cross, with more than 30 larger disaster operations since April. Combined, these relief efforts have largely depleted the Disaster Relief Fund. The Red Cross relies on the Disaster Relief Fund to deliver vast amounts of clean up supplies, dozens of shelters and tens of thousands of meals to flood victims along the Mississippi as well as to other disaster victims across the country. Even with the Disaster Relief Fund significantly depleted, the Red Cross will not cut back on the level of services it provides to clients. Red Cross is asking the St. Louis area community to help by making a donation to the Red Cross.
How You Can Help:
You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year, disasters like the massive Midwest floods and tornadoes, 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. To make a contribution in support of disaster relief for this and future events, please call 1.800.RED.CROSS or donate on-line at www.redcrossstl.org.
About Red Cross Emergency Services:
The American Red Cross provides immediate assistance with food, clothing, shelter and other needs 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 vast array of programs and services throughout the region due to the dedication of thousands of volunteers that give freely of their time.
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. |