espositol posted on April 08, 2011 17:00
Regional disaster relief reaches all time high
RALEIGH, NC, April 9, 2011—Local Red Cross units have responded to 13 apartment fires since January 1, 2011 providing emergency assistance in the form of food, shelter, medication, infant supplies, and emotional support. The multi-unit fires contributed to an overall increase in disaster assistance in the region, reaching $284,065 for the first quarter of 2011.
“It always concerns us to see an increase in disaster assistance.” said Barry Porter, Regional Executive for the American Red Cross. “It means there are more people in our community suffering through a devastating emotional and financial loss, and it means that our volunteers are working harder than ever to ensure that we can meet the increased need.”
Our local Red Cross Region includes Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Fayetteville, Pinehurst, Wilmington, surrounding areas, and reaches to the NC-VA border. Though the area often sees some increase in disaster response between December and March, this is the highest level of Red Cross disaster relief for this region in a single quarter, without a major disaster. Since January 1, 2011, the Red Cross has provided, 454 families, 1,233 people, with 9,565 nights of shelter, for 324 disasters.
Alan McKinney, Red Cross Disaster Chairman in Raleigh, NC, a disaster volunteer by night and Software executive by day, urges everyone to be prepared for disaster, and practice home fire safety. “We recommend installing smoke alarms on each level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside of sleeping areas. Use the test button to test each smoke alarm once a month, and replace batteries once a year. Every family should have a fire escape plan that includes at least two escape routes from every room in the home, and a meeting place at a safe distance from the home.” Find out more on how to prepare for disaster at triangleredcross.org/ready
Members of the community who wish to help can take action to minimize the risk of a fire occurring in their own home, and make a tax-deductible donation to the American Red Cross by visiting triangleredcross.org/donate
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.