Photos: Kurt Warner visits Cedar Rapids, 7.8.08

Photos available to the media for download. Courtesy Dave Knoer/American Red Cross.

Photos: Cedar Rapids 7.7.08

Photos available to the media for download. Courtesy Dave Knoer/American Red Cross.

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.

Fast Facts: Iowa 7.7.08

(Effective July 7, 2008; 8:00 am EST)

Consolidated relief information for Missouri/Illinois:

• 36 Shelters opened
• 6,591 Shelter overnight stays
• 256,670 Meals served
• 426,442 Snacks served
• 44 Emergency Response Vehicles deployed
• 28,559 Clean up kits distributed
• 11,481 Comfort kits distributed
• 9,392 Mental health contacts involved
• 7,528 Health services contacts involved
• 1,630 Red Cross workers involved

Term Definitions

* indicates a correction to yesterday’s numbers

Service Delivery Sites: Iowa 7.7.08

(Updated July 7, 2008; 3:35 pm EST)

Site and Shelter location information is subject to change without notice. Please check with your local chapter or call 1-866-GET-INFO to confirm this information.

LINN COUNTY

• Westdale Shopping Center-JC Penney side/lower level, 2600 Edgewood Drive, Cedar Rapids, IA (Monday-Saturday: 9am-6pm; Sunday 1pm-6pm)

ILLINOIS-ROCK ISLAND COUNTY

• American Red Cross of Quad Cities, 1100 River Dr., Moline, IL (Days and Hours of Operation: Monday-Saturday: 9am-6pm; Sunday 1pm-6pm)

Shelter Location Information: Iowa 7.7.08

(Updated July 7, 2008; 3:33 pm EST)

Site and Shelter location information is subject to change without notice. Please check with your local chapter or call 1-866-GET-INFO to confirm this information.

LINN COUNTY

• Prairie High School, 401 76th Ave. S.W., Cedar Rapids, IA
• Viola Gibson Elementary School, 6101 Gibson Dr. N.E., Cedar Rapids, IA

Photos: Oakville, Iowa July 2008

Photos available for download by the media. Courtesy Dave Knoer/American Red Cross.

Photos: Iowa and Illinois 7.2.08 to 7.4.08

Photos available for download by the media. Courtesy Dave Knoer/American Red Cross.

Press Release: Iowa 7.3.08

RED CROSS KEEPS FAITH WITH DONORS’ GENEROSITY
Charity monitors assistance, doesn’t tolerate fraud

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Thursday, July 3, 2008 – American Red Cross relief assistance is made possible by generous donations from the American people, who want to be sure their neighbors near and far get the help they need when disaster strikes. The organization constantly monitors its service delivery to be sure it is meeting genuine needs.

“We know that disasters often bring out the best in people,” said volunteer Deb Lancaster, who is leading Red Cross disaster response in Iowa and the Quad Cities area. “But unfortunately, sometimes they bring out the worst in a few people.

“We have procedures that check the validity of identification and when we suspect someone is trying to get help by falsifying the facts, we take action. We cooperate in prosecuting fraud, waste and abuse to the fullest extent of the law.”

In Cedar Rapids, Red Cross’s procedures uncovered facts that led to the arrest this week of individuals who allegedly used false ID to get assistance meant for flood victims.

To date, the Red Cross flood and tornado relief operation in Iowa has opened more than 6,100 emergency assistance cases. Trained interviewers meet with individuals and families face-to-face to discuss their emergency disaster related needs for such things as groceries, clothing or medications. Emergency assistance 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 bring some form of identification showing their address, as proof that they lived in the area affected by the disaster.

To report suspected waste, fraud or abuse of Red Cross disaster aid, call the Concerned Connection Line toll-free at 1-888-309-9679. This 24-hour confidential number is answered by a third-party communication specialist who will take the information and give the caller a unique identification number to see how the case has been handled. Callers can remain anonymous.

Red Cross volunteers will be at client service centers from 9 a.m. to noon on Independence Day, July 4, to meet with flood-impacted residents. On Saturday, operations will return to normal hours, which are from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from 1-6 p.m. on Sundays. Centers are at:
• Westdale Mall, 2600 Edgewood Road SW, Cedar Rapids (former Osco’s next to JC Penney)
• American Red Cross of Quad Cities, 1100 River Drive, Moline, Ill.

Meanwhile, in Cedar Falls, the last of the residents at the Red Cross evacuation shelter at the University of Northern Iowa are relocating to more long-term accommodations, which will allow the shelter to close.

Flood-impacted residents who find they need shelter or assistance can call 1-866-GET-INFO (1-866-438-4636) toll-free to access services.

Three Red Cross shelters remain open in eastern Iowa:
• Viola Gibson Elementary School, 6101 Gibson Drive NE, Cedar Rapids
• Prairie High School, 401 76th Ave., Cedar Rapids
• Johnson County Fairgrounds, 4261 Oakcrest Hill Road SE, Building A, Iowa City

Mobile feeding trucks circulating through the Wapello area are carrying supplies such as gloves, buckets and bleach for residents cleaning their flood-impacted homes.

All Red Cross bulk distribution sites are now closed.

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

In Iowa, through July 2, the Red Cross has:
• Opened 36 shelters with its partner organizations and provided more than 6,400 overnight stays.
• Served some 637,500 meals and snacks
• Opened more than 6,100 emergency assistance cases.
• Sent 44 emergency response vehicles and 1,630 Red Cross workers.
• Made more than 15,300 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.

Service Delivery Sites: Iowa 7.03.08

(Updated July 3, 2008; 1:00 pm EST)

Site and Shelter location information is subject to change without notice. Please check with your local chapter or call 1-866-GET-INFO to confirm this information.

LINN COUNTY

Westdale Shopping Center-JC Penney side/lower level
2600 Edgewood Drive
Cedar Rapids, IA
Hours: 9am-Noon Friday, July 4th
Monday-Saturday: 9am-6pm
Sunday 1pm-6pm

ILLINOIS-ROCK ISLAND COUNTY

American Red Cross of Quad Cities
1100 River Dr.
Moline, IL
Hours: 9am-Noon Friday, July 4th
Days and Hours of Operation: Monday-Saturday: 9am-6pm
Sunday 1pm-6pm
Sunday 1pm-6pm

Shelter Location Information: Iowa 7.03.08

(Updated July 3, 2008; 12:57 pm EST)

Site and Shelter location information is subject to change without notice. Please check with your local chapter or call 1-866-GET-INFO to confirm this information.
BLACKHAWK COUNTY

• University of Northern Iowa, 2501 Minnesota Street, Cedar Falls, IA

JOHNSON COUNTY

• 4-H Fairgrounds, Bldg. A., Johnson County Fairgrounds, 4265 Oak Crest Hill Rd. SE (Bldg. A), Iowa City, IA

LINN COUNTY

• Prairie High School, 401 76th Ave. S.W., Cedar Rapids, IA
• Viola Gibson Elementary School, 6101 Gibson Dr. N.E., Cedar Rapids, IA

Photos: West Burlington, IA

Photos available for download by the media. Courtesy Steve Schweitzer/American Red Cross.

Bulk Distribution: Iowa 7.1.08

(Updated July 1, 2008; 12:20 pm EST)

Site and Shelter location information is subject to change without notice. Please check with your local chapter or call 1-866-GET-INFO to confirm this information.

BREMER COUNTY

• Player’s Theatre (@end of Wartburg Blvd. – building with Orange Wartburg Banner), Wartburg College, Waverly, IA

LINN COUNTY

• Westdale Shopping Center-JC Penney side/lower level, 2600 Edgewood Drive, Cedar Rapids, IA (Days and Hours of Operation: 9a to 6p Mon. to Sat., and Sunday 1p to 6p)
• Sam’s Shopping Center – Parking Lot, 2605 Blairs’ Ferry Road, Cedar Rapids, IA (Days and Hours of Operation: 9a to 6p Mon. to Sat., and Sunday 1p to 6p)

WAPELLO COUNTY

• Solid Rock Baptist Church, 14041 Locust St., Wapello, IA. (Days and Hours of Operation: 9 am – 6 pm Mon. to Sat., and Sunday 1p to 6p)

LOUISA COUNTY

• L and M Elementary School, 14506 170th St., Letts, IA. (Days and Hours of Operation: 9 am – 6 pm Mon. to Sat., and Sunday 1p to 6p)

JOHNSON COUNTY

• Sycamore Mall, 1676 Sycamore St., Iowa City, IA. (Days and Hours of Operation: 9a to 6p Mon. to Sat., and Sunday 1p to 6p)

Service Delivery Sites: Iowa 7.1.08

(Updated July 1, 2008; 12:10 pm EST)

Site and Shelter location information is subject to change without notice. Please check with your local chapter or call 1-866-GET-INFO to confirm this information.

BUCHANAN COUNTY

• Aurora Comet Center, 401 Woodruff, Aurora, IA (Days and Hours of Operation: 8a to 7p Daily)

BLACK HAWK COUNTY

• UNI Towers, 2003 Campus St., Cedar Falls, IA (Days and Hours of Operation: 8a to 7p Daily)
• Pine Crest Building, 1407 Independence Ave., Waterloo, IA

BREMER COUNTY

• Wartburg College, Waverly, IA (Days and Hours of Operation: 8a to 7p Daily)

BUTLER COUNTY

• Parkersburg American Legion Hall, 101 Colfax St., Parkersburg, IA (Days and Hours of Operation: 8a to 7p Daily)

LINN COUNTY

• Westdale Shopping Center-JC Penney side/lower level, 2600 Edgewood Drive, Cedar Rapids, IA (Hours: Monday-Sunday: 9am-8pm)

ILLINOIS

• American Red Cross of Quad Cities, 1100 River Dr., Moline, Illinois (Days and Hours of Operation: 9a to 5p)

JOHNSON COUNTY

• Sycamore Plaza, Sycamore Street, Iowa City, IA (Days and Hours of Operation: N/A)

DES MOINES

• West Burlington High School, 408 West Van Weiss St., W. Burlington, IA (Days and Hours of Operation: N/A)

LOUISA COUNTY

• Louisa Muscatine Elementary, 14506 170th St., Letts, IA (Days and Hours of Operation: N/A)

STORY COUNTY

• Story County Administration Bldg., 900 6th St./2nd floor, Nevada, IA. (Days and Hours of Operation: 8a to 7p Daily)

TAMA COUNTY

• Former FSA Office, 203 W. High Street, Toledo, IA. (Days and Hours of Operation: 8a to 7p Daily)

Shelter Location Information: Iowa 7.1.08

(Updated July 1, 2008; 11:45 am EST)

Site and Shelter location information is subject to change without notice. Please check with your local chapter or call 1-866-GET-INFO to confirm this information.

BLACKHAWK COUNTY

• University of Northern Iowa, 2501 Minnesota Street, Cedar Falls, IA

JOHNSON COUNTY

• 4-H Fairgrounds, Bldg. A., Johnson County Fairgrounds, 4265 Oak Crest Hill Rd. SE (Bldg. A), Iowa City, IA

LINN COUNTY

• Prairie High School, 401 76th Ave. S.W., Cedar Rapids, IA
• Viola Gibson Elementary School, 6101 Gibson Dr. N.E., Cedar Rapids, IA

LOUISA COUNTY

• Solid Rock Baptist Church, 14041 Locust St., Wapello, IA.

WAPELLO COUNTY

• Solid Rock Baptist Church, 14041 Locust Street, Wapello, IA

Photos: Nichols and Iowa City, Iowa 6.25.08

Photo available for download by the media. Courtesy Dave Knoer/American Red Cross.

Photos: Cedar Rapids, Iowa 6.26.08

Photo available for download by the media. Courtesy Dave Knoer/American Red Cross.

Bulk Distribution: Iowa 6.30.08

(Updated June 30, 2008; 12:30 pm EST)

Site and Shelter location information is subject to change without notice. Please check with your local chapter or call 1-866-GET-INFO to confirm this information.

LINN COUNTY

• Westdale Shopping Center-JC Penney side/lower level, 2600 Edgewood Drive, Cedar Rapids, IA

Days and Hours of Operation: 9a to 6p Mon. to Sat., and Sunday 1p to 6p

• Sam’s Shopping Center – Parking Lot, 2605 Blairs’ Ferry Road, Cedar Rapids, IA

Clean-up/Comfort kits
Days and Hours of Operation: 9a to 6p Mon. to Sat., and Sunday 1p to 6p

WAPELLO COUNTY

• Solid Rock Baptist Church, 14041 Locust St., Wapello, IA.

Days and Hours of Operation: 9 am – 6 pm Mon. to Sat., and Sunday 1p to 6p

LOUISA COUNTY

• L and M Elementary School, 14506 170th St., Letts, IA.

Days and Hours of Operation: 9 am – 6 pm Mon. to Sat., and Sunday 1p to 6p

JOHNSON COUNTY

• Sycamore Mall, 1676 Sycamore St., Iowa City, IA.

Days and Hours of Operation: 9a to 6p Mon. to Sat., and Sunday 1p to 6p

Service Delivery Sites: Iowa 6.30.08

(Updated June 30, 2008; 12:30 pm EST)

Site and Shelter location information is subject to change without notice. Please check with your local chapter or call 1-866-GET-INFO to confirm this information.

BUCHANAN COUNTY

• Aurora Comet Center, 401 Woodruff, Aurora, IA.

Days and Hours of Operation: 8a to 7p Daily

BLACK HAWK COUNTY

• UNI Towers, 2003 Campus St., Cedar Falls, IA.

Days and Hours of Operation: 8a to 7p Daily

• Pine Crest Building, 1407 Independence Ave., Waterloo, IA.

Days and Hours of Operation: 8a to 7p Daily

BUTLER COUNTY

• Parkersburg American Legion Hall, 101 Colfax St., Parkersburg, IA.

Days and Hours of Operation: 8a to 7p Daily

LINN COUNTY

• Westdale Shopping Center-JC Penney side/lower level, 2600 Edgewood Drive, Cedar Rapids, IA

Hours: Monday-Sunday: 9am-8pm

Bring a proof of residence with you – driver’s license, utility bill etc.
ILLINOIS

• American Red Cross of Quad Cities, 1100 River Dr., Moline, Illinois

Days and Hours of Operation: 9a to 5p

JOHNSON COUNTY

• Sycamore Plaza, Sycamore Street, Iowa City, IA.

DES MOINES

• West Burlington High School, 408 West Van Weiss St., W. Burlington, IA.

LOUISA COUNTY

• Louisa Muscatine Elementary, 14506 170th St., Letts, IA.

STORY COUNTY

• Story County Administration Bldg., 900 6th St./2nd floor, Nevada, IA.

Days and Hours of Operation: 8a to 7p Daily

TAMA COUNTY

• Former FSA Office, 203 W. High Street, Toledo, IA.

Days and Hours of Operation: 8a to 7p Daily

Shelter Location Information: Iowa 6.30.08

(Updated June 30, 2008; 12:30 pm EST)

Site and Shelter location information is subject to change without notice. Please check with your local chapter or call 1-866-GET-INFO to confirm this information.

JOHNSON COUNTY

• 4-H Fairgrounds, Bldg. A., Johnson County Fairgrounds, 4265 Oak Crest Hill Rd. SE (Bldg. A), Iowa City, IA

LINN COUNTY

• Prairie High School, 401 76th Ave. S.W., Cedar Rapids, IA

• Viola Gibson Elementary School, 6101 Gibson Dr. N.E., Cedar Rapids, IA

WAPELLO COUNTY

• Solid Rock Baptist Church, 14041 Locust Street, Wapello, IA