ROCHESTER, N.Y., Tuesday, March 24, 2009—The Greater Rochester Red Cross is deploying two volunteers to Fargo, ND to help with the developing flooding threatening the area.
Donna Demay, resident of Greece and Deveda Schleyer, resident of Pittsford will leave from the Greater Rochester International Airport tomorrow morning, Wednesday, March 25.
Volunteers will be available for interviews at 5:30 a.m. from the Northwest Departure Counter on Wednesday, March 25.
“Both of our local volunteers will help in evacuation shelters, which may open within the next 48 to 72 hours, depending on weather conditions,” said Leighton Jones, Director of Disaster & Emergency Services at the Greater Rochester Red Cross. “Should additional requests from the American National Red Cross come in, we will continue to make arrangements to pre-position volunteers as needed.”
Pre-deployment allows the Red Cross to situate volunteers and resources out of the path of the storm, in the safest areas and makes providing aid much quicker if and when it’s needed. Volunteers deployed on a National Disaster may be gone for up to three weeks.
For updates, including photos and video footage, visit the American Red Cross Disaster Online Newsroom. If you would like to help, please visit www.redcross.org, or call 1-800-RED CROSS.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation's blood supply; teaches lifesaving skills; 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 humanitarian mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at www.redcrosschat.org.