Press Release: Iowa 7.7.08

RED CROSS TAKING ASSISTANCE STRAIGHT TO CLIENTS

Contact: (571) 918-5585

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Monday, July 7, 2008 – The American Red Cross service delivery center at Westdale Mall will close at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Outreach teams will take over emergency assistance casework in flood-affected communities in eastern Iowa and the Quad Cities area.

Outreach teams will make appointments to meet face-to-face with individuals and families to assess their emergency needs. Flood-impacted residents with disaster-related needs can call 1-866-GET-INFO (1-866-438-4636) toll-free to access services.

Red Cross assistance may include providing the means to pay for groceries, clothing or medications. It may also help cover rent or minor repairs that will help people get back into their homes more quickly. Individuals or families who apply to the Red Cross for assistance must have some form of identification showing their address, as proof that they lived in the area affected by the disaster.

Red Cross volunteers will be at the client service center in the former Osco’s store next to JC Penney at Westdale Mall, 2600 Edgewood Road SW, Cedar Rapids, from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.

Meanwhile, governmental and social service agencies are making arrangements for accommodations for flood evacuees remaining in two Red Cross shelters at Viola Gibson Elementary School and Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids. Once those residents are moved, school personnel will begin preparing the buildings for students and teachers to return in the fall.

The Red Cross will continue to adjust services across Iowa and the Quad Cities area as needs change for shelters, meals, snacks, cleanup supplies, physical and mental health services and individual client assistance.

In Iowa and the Quad Cities area, through July 6, the Red Cross has:

• Opened 36 shelters with its partner organizations and provided nearly 6,600 overnight stays.
• Served some 683,000 meals and snacks
• Opened nearly 6,650 emergency assistance cases.
• Sent 44 emergency response vehicles and 1,630 Red Cross workers.
• Made nearly 17,000 first aid and mental health contacts.
• Distributed more than 28,500 clean-up kits.

All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of flooding and thousands of other disasters across the country each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need. Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.