Local Red Cross Responders Total Approaches 100 In Sandy Relief Effort

The Western Carolinas American Red Cross continues volunteer deployments in support of Superstorm Sandy relief operations. Since Monday, 17 volunteers have gone to New York and New Jersey to provide meals and health care services bringing the total number of Western Carolinas responders to 97.

Additionally, Red Cross volunteers continue to support relief efforts here at home. In the past 48-hours, the Red Cross has responded to six house fires providing overnight stays, food and clothing allowances for 17 people. “It is common this time of year that the number of fires we, and any emergency response organization, respond to increases,” said Brian Scoles, spokesman for the Red Cross. “One cause for the increase is the use  of alternative heating sources like space heaters or Kerosene heaters to warm homes. Some are safe and some are not. We urge people to use caution when using alternative heating sources.”

The Red Cross offers safety tips for home heating at http://www.redcross.org/prepare/location/home-family/prevent-home-fires

Superstorm Sandy Snapshot

The Red Cross has mobilized the full resources of the organization to help those who have been affected. “Every day Red Cross volunteers are loading trucks and traveling to affected neighborhoods with food and supplies. Our disaster workers are carrying these relief items up multiple flights of stairs in high rises, doing whatever we can to reach more people who need help,” said Charley Shimanski, senior vice president of Disaster Services for the Red Cross. “We understand that people are living in very tough conditions and we are doing everything possible to assist them during this difficult time.” 

More than 5,366 Red Cross workers from all 50 states are supporting shelters, providing food and water at fixed sites, and driving through neighborhoods to distribute meals and supplies. About 90 percent of these workers are volunteers. To date over 6.7 million meals and snacks have been served.