Red Cross deploys five to tornado cleanup zones

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Monday, May 2, 2011—The Red Cross is in the process of deploying five individuals to the storm-ravaged south to assist with cleanup and recovery efforts. The following individuals will depart today for up to three weeks:

• Bipin Shah of Pittsford deployed at 8:30 a.m. today for Birmingham, Alabama. He will act as a Health Services Supervisor.
• Anthony Muscolino of Manchester will be leaving for Birmingham to function as a shelter Feeding Manager. His flight will depart from Syracuse Airport at 11:45 a.m.
• Alvani Santos of Rochester will act as a Health Services Supervisor in Birmingham. His flight will leave Greater Rochester International Airport at 12:25 p.m.
• Donna DeMay and David Warren, both of Rochester, will act as Client Caseworkers in Little Rock, Arkansas. They will be on the same flight leaving at Greater Rochester International Airport at 1:17 p.m. today.

Red Cross volunteers will be available for interview at the Greater Rochester International Airport 90 minutes before their flight time.

Red Cross workers are deploying from all over the country. Our top priority in these early days of this disaster is to provide food and shelter to the thousands of people affected by these storms.

• More than 1,200 people spent Saturday night in Red Cross shelters, with more than half of them (661) in Alabama. Shelters were also open in Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi, Arkansas, Iowa, North Carolina and Virginia.
• This weekend we are beginning to distribute meals, toiletries and clean-up supplies throughout the affected areas in Alabama. The Red Cross has mobilized more than 90 emergency response vehicles to help with mobile feeding and handing out supplies.
• Kitchens are being set up in partnership with organizations like the Salvation Army and Southern Baptist Convention to prepare meals for distributing in the affected neighborhoods.
• The Red Cross is sending in more than 130,000 ready-to-eat meals and thousands of supplies like blankets, toiletries, gloves, rakes, tarps and shovels.  We are also moving items for persons with access and functional needs, such as universal cots, shower chairs and commode risers.

Red Cross nurses and mental health workers are helping people cope with this tragedy. 

• Emergency aid stations are being set up in major damage areas.
• Our health services workers are assisting people who have lost medications or items like eyeglasses.
• Our mental health workers are providing emotional support to those who have lost loved ones and people displaced from their homes.
• Red Cross Blood Services is moving hundreds of blood products to the area to make sure hospital patients have the blood they need. The blood supply is stable, but tragic events like these are a reminder of the importance of a sufficient blood supply each and every day.

Red Cross disaster assistance is free. The Red Cross depends on financial donations to help in times of disaster. Please consider making a donation today to help the thousands of people who have been affected by these disasters.

• Visit www.redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
• Contributions may also be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.
• Any donation, large or small, will help. For example, $3 can provide a comfort kit for someone in a disaster. $6 can cover the cost of a blanket, $10 the cost of a hot meal. For $150, someone’s donation can cover the cost of providing food and shelter to a family of four for a day they spend in a shelter.

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