Local Red Cross Volunteer Heads to Iowa; Disaster Relief Fund Still Needs Donations
News Release: June 23, 2008
Contact: Janice Osborne, Director-Communications and Marketing; American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley (610) 865-4400, ext. 262; pager (610) 508-4378

Donations Still Needed as Relief Efforts Continue in Central U.S.

BETHLEHEM, Pa., June 23, 2008 - Red Cross volunteer Irv Burmil of Easton will leave for Iowa early tomorrow morning (6/24) to assist with national American Red Cross relief efforts in Iowa. He will join thousands of Red Cross disaster workers in providing families with basic essentials such as shelter, food and emotional counseling.

Burmil is the first person from the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley to be called to help with the Red Cross relief efforts in Central United States. Other local volunteers are available in the upcoming weeks, if needed.

Burmil joined the local Red Cross in July 2004. He was trained in disaster response, with a specialty in interviewing families affected by fire or other emergency and providing for their immediate emergency needs. In 2005, he served in Baton Rouge, La., in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and, in July 2005 in Pittsburgh during the Western Pennsylvania floods.

With an estimated cost of at least $15 million for the relief efforts in the Central United States, the American Red Cross continues to seek donations for its Disaster Relief Fund. The relief organization is extremely grateful for the approximately $8 million that has been pledged and received for disaster relief to date from generous donors across the country. This update comes one week after the Red Cross announced that the fund had been depleted. The challenges with the Disaster Relief Fund have not adversely affected the level of service that is being provided.

In response to the extreme weather and flooding, the Red Cross has opened more than 100 shelters and deployed an estimated 3,000 volunteers to help serve nearly 500,000 meals and snacks, and distribute the thousands of clean-up kits to families returning to their flood ravaged homes.

The Disaster Relief Fund allows the Red Cross to provide desperately needed immediate emergency assistance to victims of all disasters, small and large. The fund provides for free assistance not only to victims of major disasters like the recent floods, but also to smaller local disasters, like house fires. Since the American Red Cross is not a government agency, it relies on the donations of private individuals and organizations to provide assistance to those affected by disasters.

The best way to help the Red Cross continue to provide food, shelter, counseling and other assistance to victims of disasters is to make a financial contribution to the Disaster Relief Fund. For example, a $25 donation can provide five blankets at an emergency shelter; a $350 donation can provide emergency food and shelter for up to 25 people for one day.

Donors can contribute via the internet at www.redcrosslv.org, by phone at 1-800-HELP-NOW (1-800-435-7669) or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish) or by mail: American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013. The Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster, please do so at the time of your donation.

Visit www.redcrosslv.org to find out the latest information and learn how you can help.

The American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley serves more than 690,000 residents of Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties. Last year the Red Cross provided health and safety education training; Lifeline, a personal response service for seniors; and emergency relief to more than 23,000 Greater Lehigh Valley residents. For more information about the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley or volunteer opportunities, call (610) 865-4400 or visit www.redcrosslv.org.