Valley Wide Help Expands Hours of Operation
News Release: July 9, 2010
Contact: Janice Osborne, Director-Communications and Marketing
American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley
(610) 865-4400, ext. 262; pager (610) 830-9771


Valley Wide Help, an information and referral program of the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley, has expanded its hours of operation from 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays.

Valley Wide Help offers callers information regarding social and other human services located in Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties and beyond. The program is free and confidential. Calls are handled by trained information specialists with access to a database of nearly 1,000 local, state and national social service agencies. Accessibility of information and referral services throughout the greater Lehigh Valley is ensured through the availability of six telephone numbers, along with bilingual services to Spanish-speaking callers, a text telephone system for the hearing impaired and through Internet access.

"In today's economic climate, we are getting a greater number of calls for information - particularly about emergency shelter, energy assistance, food banks and rental assistance," said Cordelia E. Miller, who oversees the program for the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley. "By expanding our hours, callers will receive the information they need at the time of their call, rather than waiting for the next business day. In addition, we are now able to conduct follow-up calls to ensure that an individual's needs were met and if not, the reasons why not. This information will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of existing community service providers and to identify any gaps in community services.

"Bottomline, our community benefits," said Miller. "We are grateful to the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley for providing the funding through the Community Services Block Grant."

Valley Wide Help received nearly $84,000 through the special funding to hire personnel, purchase software, update its database, expand its hours and provide comprehensive resource directories and outreach materials.

Last year, 45,135 people were assisted by phone or accessed the Valley Wide Help Web site for information.

Valley Wide Help can be reached at 610-435-7111. Bilingual services are provided through a Spanish line at 610-866-1089. Hearing impaired callers are serviced through an on-site text telephone system (TTY/TDD) at 610-866-0131. Internet users can access the Valley Wide Help database at www.irissoft.com/vwhp.

The American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley serves residents of Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties. Last year the Red Cross helped more than 70,000 people through preparedness and training, military personnel support, senior lifesaving programs and services, emergency relief and information and referral. 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 mission. 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.