Red Cross deploys three to spring storm disaster areas

Three volunteers from Finger Lakes Chapter of the Red Cross embark on cleanup efforts

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Monday, April 25, 2011—Over the past week, the Red Cross has deployed three people to North Carolina to assist with cleanup efforts as a result of brutal spring storms that struck the region last week. Sarah Perkins of Pittsford, Mark Grey of Canandaigua, and Hal Brink of Penn Yan left for North Carolina at various times last week and will be deployed from 2-3 weeks.

Brink and Grey will be working inside Red Cross shelters set up to provide temporary housing for victims. Brink is a Shelter Feeding Manager and Grey is a Disaster Mental Health Supervisor at Red Cross shelters.

Sarah Perkins acts as a Disaster Assessment Manager while on deployment. Her role is to visit individual houses and assess the damage that occurred, then provide a timeline for individuals with the amount of Red Cross relief they will receive while they wait to rebuild.

Individuals on deployment can be available for interviews periodically. Please coordinate all interviews through Erin Caldwell, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications, at 585-370-1834.

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.yatesredcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.