Red Cross Continues to Work with Residents Still Displaced by N. 13th Street Disaster in Allentown; Many Allowed to Return Home
News Release: February 11, 2011
Contact: Janice Osborne, Director-Communications and Marketing
American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley
(610) 865-4400, ext. 262; pager (610) 830-9771


The American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley continues to work with nine residents who remain displaced by the explosion and fire in the 500 block of N. 13th Street in Allentown.

Residents living in homes on the odd-numbered side of the 500 block of N. 13th Street were allowed back into their homes today. Residents in the 600 block returned home yesterday.

As news spread about loss of lives and property, area residents, businesses, faith organizations and others began calling the local chapter asking how to help.

"Every three days on average, our chapter responds to a fire or other disaster in our community," said John R. Hughes, executive director of the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley. "As a charitable organization we depend on volunteers and the generosity of the general public to perform our mission of helping people in times of need. We are indebted to everyone who has made a donation to our organization to help us do what we do best - providing for the immediate emergency needs of people affected by a disaster."

Since yesterday, more than $8,200 has been donated to the American Red Cross to help those affected by this tragedy and other events. Online donations came in from as far away as Hawaii.

How to Help:

You can make a monetary donation to the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley to help with our disaster relief efforts for this tragedy and other events:
Where to donate clothing and other small items:
The American Red Cross does not accept donations of clothing, food, shoes, household items or other goods. Though well intentioned, these donations have hidden costs and pose a storage problem for the Red Cross. However, the Red Cross partners with a number of nonprofit agencies here in the greater Lehigh Valley that do accept these items, and disaster clients are encouraged to use these resources. For example, the Salvation Army in Allentown accepts clothing; the Second Harvest food bank accepts non-perishable food items. All disaster victims receive a referral and resource directory from the American Red Cross that includes a comprehensive list of area nonprofit agencies where they can get clothing, food, furniture, and other items.

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 76,500 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.