PITTSBURGH, PA - During the hustle of holiday shopping this season, consider giving a gift that could help save a life.  Choose from a variety of American Red Cross health and safety products or courses for your friends and family to help them be more prepared this upcoming year. These emergency preparedness gifts are not only unique, but they also are an opportunity to give back to the community.  All proceeds from these items will help the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter assist local families.

 
1)   Gift certificates to learn CPR, First Aid, or skills with AED are available through the American Red Cross.  Red Cross first aid courses cover topics such as how to check conscious and unconscious victims, bleeding control, burns, sudden illness and injury. A gift certificate to learn CPR prepares one to recognize and care for life-threatening respiratory or cardiac emergencies in adults, infants and children. An Infant and Child CPR gift certificate makes the perfect gift for your spouse, your child’s grandmother, or even your babysitter. (Cost: $25-$65)

To purchase these lifesaving items, place your order by telephone to the Red Cross at 1-888-217-9599, or view photos of the products and download the order form off our the local Web site at swpa.redcross.org

Please note that shipping and handling fees are not included in the prices listed.

 PITTSBURGH---Tom Waggoner, of Farmington, a disaster volunteer for the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter recently returned from an assignment in response to Hurricane Katrina.
 

Waggoner spent three weeks in Alexandria, La., working as a Red Cross volunteer providing crisis counseling to staff and residents of Red Cross shelters and assisting evacuees with their plans for leaving the shelters and connecting them with resources for their next stage of recovery.  
 

A volunteer for the Red Cross for seven years, Waggoner also served during the Quecreek mine entrapment and the Youghigheny flood.
 

Hurricane season ends on Nov. 30, but the needs of the many affected by this year’s hurricanes still exist.  The American Red Cross needs volunteers willing to serve on at least a two-week assignment to help the individuals and families affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma and any other future disasters.  If interested in being trained as a Red Cross volunteer, contact the Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter at 888-217-9599 or visit online at www.swpa.redcross.org for information.

PITTSBURGH---Robert Maldonado, a disaster volunteer for the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter recently returned from an assignment in response to Hurricane Katrina.

Maldonado spent three weeks in New Orleans, La., managing two of the mobile and stationary feeding locations for the Red Cross.  These locations provided thousands of meals daily to the affected area as well stocked the Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles with food and supplies to drive into the out-lying affected areas and deliver door-to-door. 

Trained during the Katrina 800 “boot camps” in response to the unprecedented Hurricane Katrina disaster, Maldonado is one of nearly 60 volunteers to have been deployed and there are several more volunteers preparing to go. 

Hurricane season ends on Nov. 30, but the needs of the many affected by this year’s hurricanes still exist.  The American Red Cross needs volunteers willing to serve on at least a two-week assignment to help the individuals and families affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma and any other future disasters.  If interested in being trained as a Red Cross volunteer, contact the Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter at 888-217-9599 or visit online at www.swpa.redcross.org for information.

PITTSBURGH---Chance Rummel, a disaster volunteer for the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter, recently returned from an assignment in response to Hurricane Rita.

Rummel spent three weeks in Texas working first in Jackson County assessing damage and relaying the essential information to Red Cross officials working on financial assistance for the affected families.  Rummel then worked on bulk distribution of supplies out of the Red Cross headquarters set up in Baytown.  There he was able to organize the available human and material resources to ensure fast-paced allocation of necessities to the community.  And finally, Rummel was trained to operate a Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle to drive the food and supplies into the affected areas and deliver door-to-door.

Trained during the Katrina 800 “boot camps” in response to the unprecedented Hurricane Katrina disaster, Rummel is one of about 60 volunteers to have been deployed and there are several more volunteers preparing to go. 

Hurricane season ends on Nov. 30, but the needs of the many affected by this year’s hurricanes still exist.  The American Red Cross needs volunteers willing to serve on at least a two-week assignment to help the individuals and families affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma and any other future disasters.  If interested in being trained as a Red Cross volunteer, contact the Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter at 888-217-9599 or visit online at www.swpa.redcross.org for information.

Friday, September 02, 2005 - The American Red Cross, with support of the worldwide Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, is launching a Web site to help assist family members who are seeking news about loved ones living in the path of Hurricane Katrina. Visit the “Family Links Registry” via www.redcross.org to register yourself, a missing relative or view the existing list of registrants.

Evacuees wishing to inform loved ones of their location can register their name by clicking on “Family Links Registry” on www.redcross.org.
Concerned loved ones can register the names of their loved ones and view the list of those already posted.

Due to the extent of the damage and the number of people displaced, concerned friends and family members are encouraged to visit the site daily to consult the list, as it will be updated continuously.

A toll-free hotline is being established for those who do not have internet access.
During the unprecedented hurricane season of last year, with four hurricanes in just six weeks, the American Red Cross received more than 300,000 phone calls - most coming from people looking for missing loved ones. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, loved ones across America and around the world are again turning to the Red Cross for help.

The American Red Cross is dedicated as an organization to re-establishing family links. In order to expedite this process, we have tapped into the capacity of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), whose experience in connecting families separated by disaster or armed conflict is unsurpassed. As Americans give to the international community during times of crisis, the international community is now giving back.

The Family Links Web site is a voluntary, self-registration system. The American Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have no means of verifying the information posted. As it is a public site, information posted is not confidential.
The American Red Cross, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, governmental and non-profit agencies, is part of a monumental response to this disaster. As we all work to assist victims of this catastrophic event, the Red Cross is there to address the basic needs of those affected. As a team, we are working to alleviate the anxiety of those searching for news of their loved ones.

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 this disaster 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 at P.O. Box 371997, Pittsburgh, PA 15251 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.

Disaster “Boot Camp” this weekend: 5-9 p.m. Friday; 9-5 Saturday

Pittsburgh, Sept. 6, 2005 -Due to the sheer volume of people affected by Hurricane Katrina, as well as the extensive geographical area impacted-90,000 square miles---the relief effort will require long-term massive feeding and sheltering operations for many months to come.

The national headquarters of the American Red Cross has requested that 50 cities recruit and train a total of 40,000 volunteers by Nov. 30, 2005 in response to the relief effort for Hurricane Katrina.  Pittsburgh is one of the cities receiving this request.

MEDIA IS INVITED TO COVER THE TRAINING: Friday, September 9th, 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. and Saturday, September 10th, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. at California University of Pennsylvania's Southpointe Campus. (135 Technology Drive, Canonsburg, PA 15317).

Without advertising the training, the local Red Cross has filled the first two trainings scheduled to capacity.  We have received an outpouring of local residents willing to be trained to volunteer.

Disaster Boot Camp is a compilation of 12 hours of disaster response training planned over a concentrated span of two days. Upon completion, participants will understand the Red Cross role in mass feeding and sheltering during a disaster.

Completion of the training fulfills the first requirement out of several in order to respond to the southern states affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Friday participants will be trained in Introduction to Disasters and an orientation to the national disaster volunteer system; Saturday mass care training and shelter operations will be taught. 

An American Red Cross National Disaster Relief Responder can provide a number of varied services on any relief operation. Volunteer opportunities include:  Mass feeding, operating or assisting in a shelter, logistics and distribution of bulk supplies, communications, accounting, public affairs, damage assessment, family service (working with families on cash assistance), etc.

Volunteering for Hurricane Katrina relief is a hardship assignment and more information can be found on our website at www.swpa.redcross.org.

Contact Tami Aubele if interested in covering the training:  412-270-2539; 412-596-0521;
412-263-3118.

Local Red Cross to Train Volunteers
in Response to Hurricane Katrina
Disaster “Boot Camp” this weekend: 5-9 p.m. Friday; 9-5 Saturday

Pittsburgh, Sept. 6, 2005 -Due to the sheer volume of people affected by Hurricane Katrina, as well as the extensive geographical area impacted-90,000 square miles---the relief effort will require long-term massive feeding and sheltering operations for many months to come.

The national headquarters of the American Red Cross has requested that 50 cities recruit and train a total of 40,000 volunteers by Nov. 30, 2005 in response to the relief effort for Hurricane Katrina.  Pittsburgh is one of the cities receiving this request.

MEDIA IS INVITED TO COVER THE TRAINING: Friday, September 9th, 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. and Saturday, September 10th, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. at California University of Pennsylvania's Southpointe Campus. (135 Technology Drive, Canonsburg, PA 15317).

Without advertising the training, the local Red Cross has filled the first two trainings scheduled to capacity.  We have received an outpouring of local residents willing to be trained to volunteer.
Disaster Boot Camp is a compilation of 12 hours of disaster response training planned over a concentrated span of two days. Upon completion, participants will understand the Red Cross role in mass feeding and sheltering during a disaster.
Completion of the training fulfills the first requirement out of several in order to respond to the southern states affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Friday participants will be trained in Introduction to Disasters and an orientation to the national disaster volunteer system; Saturday mass care training and shelter operations will be taught. 
An American Red Cross National Disaster Relief Responder can provide a number of varied services on any relief operation. Volunteer opportunities include:  Mass feeding, operating or assisting in a shelter, logistics and distribution of bulk supplies, communications, accounting, public affairs, damage assessment, family service (working with families on cash assistance), etc.
Volunteering for Hurricane Katrina relief is a hardship assignment and more information can be found on our website at www.swpa.redcross.org.

Contact Tami Aubele if interested in covering the training:  412-270-2539; 412-596-0521;
412-263-3118.

Local Red Cross partners with Baptist Homes and  Mt. Lebanon Municipality for a full-scale disaster drill

Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2005--- Too often after disasters strike, the victims of the destruction and devastation realize that they were simply not prepared for what happened. The American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter is dedicated to helping the Pittsburgh region to be better prepared for emergencies.

As part of its Special Populations Emergency Preparedness Initiative (SPEPI), on Tuesday, September 27, the Red Cross will partner with Mt. Lebanon Municipality on a full-scale disaster drill that will take place at the Baptist Homes, a graduated care facility in Mt. Lebanon that offers a continuum of care from independent living through assisted living and nursing care to almost 300 seniors.

The SPEPI program was developed locally by the Red Cross in response to numerous requests by seniors for information on how to prepare for emergencies.  The program was developed specifically to address the disability concerns and special needs of the elderly, and now has grown to encompass all populations with special needs.

The Red Cross role in the initiative is to:
Provide guidelines to develop an emergency plan;
Continuously consult the organizations during planning and
Provide all necessary training for facility residents and personnel.

The Baptist Homes facility has worked for more than two years with the local Red Cross to revise its emergency plan and to be trained in preparedness---the culmination of those years of work will be demonstrated at the full-scale drill.

The drill will involve evacuating and relocating nearly 175 residents of the Baptist Homes because of a weather-related emergency. Residents of the Baptist Homes have consented to participate and have completed training and simulations in preparation.

 “Emergencies can strike quickly and without warning.  A fire, flood, winter storm or explosion can put staff and residents in danger,” said Robert Fischer, director of property and facilities management for Baptist Homes. “It is essential to know how to accommodate residents, clients or staff--particularly those who require special assistance.”
Mt. Lebanon’s first responders, including the Mt. Lebanon police and fire departments, along with Medical/Rescue Team South Authority, train extensively to maintain proficiency in mitigating emergencies of all sizes and types. 

 “Our community has a large special-needs population, primarily senior citizens,” said Rodger Ricciuti, a platoon chief with the Mt. Lebanon Fire Department.  “An exercise like this allows us to accurately gauge the effectiveness of our planning, and identify areas in need of improvement.”
 

While disasters such as Hurricane Katrina cause devastation and hardship to all  in their path, the special needs residents are often in greater peril than the general population due to mobility issues, poor health, or cognitive difficulties.  The SPEPI initiative provides a framework that can be used to improve the outcome of catastrophic events for residents with special needs.

Local citizens trained through Red Cross Boot Camp

PITTSBURGH - Six local citizens are packing bags and making travel arrangements this afternoon to deploy for areas affected by Hurricane Katrina and Rita for two-week volunteer assignments through the Red Cross.

One volunteer will deploy to the gulf states to help manage a Red Cross shelter as part of Hurricane Katrina relief.

Five volunteers will deploy to Texas to perform disaster assessment duties caused by Hurricane Rita.  Disaster assessment is done by the Red Cross to understand the depth and location of damage - so that other Red Cross volunteers can help affected families with future assistance.  (Disaster assessment done on Hurricane Katrina has helped the local chapter know that more than 187 families - who came to Pittsburgh - were indeed disaster victims and to what degree)

All volunteers being deployed have recently completed Red Cross Boot Camps and have been waiting for this call.

Boot Camps provide education to the everyday citizen to be a Red Cross volunteer in areas of mass sheltering and feeding, bulk distribution and assessing disaster-caused damage. So far, nearly 700 individuals have registered for Boot Camps, and 256 have completed all mandatory training.  Sixteen local individuals have been deployed, with several more making preparations to go.
   
To  learn more - or to register for Boot Camp - visit the Red Cross website www.swpa.redcross.org or call 1-888-217-9599.

PITTSBURGH - The American Red Cross (Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter) says there is still space open this weekend for local individuals wanting to learn what it takes to respond as a volunteer for hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The mandatory disaster training is being offered Friday, October 7 (5 p.m. - 9 p.m.) and Saturday, October 8 (9 a.m. - 6 p.m.) at the Allegheny County Fire Academy Training Center, 700 West Ridge Road, Allison Park, PA 15101.  Register online at www.swpa.redcross.org or call 1-888-217-9599.

The class capacity is 187 but, so far, 95 people have registered. The Red Cross would like to fill the class.

The disaster training (called ‘BOOT CAMP’ since it is 12 hours of training done in a condensed format over the span of 2-3 days) provides education to the everyday citizen to be a Red Cross volunteer in areas of mass sheltering and feeding, bulk distribution and assessing disaster-caused damage.

Volunteers would be deployed on a two-week relief assignment for either Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita -and could go to affected areas in the gulf states or at a number of call centers located throughout the country, including California, Niagara Falls, and Washington DC.

The local Red Cross will conduct Boot Camps every week until Thanksgiving as part of its volunteer recruitment campaign called Katrina 800.  The chapter’s goal is to recruit, train and ready for deployment 800 volunteers.

So far, nearly 700 individuals have registered for Boot Camps, and 256 have completed all mandatory training.  Sixteen local individuals have been deployed, with several more making preparations to go.
   
Hurricanes Katrina and Ritas are considered "hardship assignments" by the Red Cross. This means that these conditions will most likely exist:
Water disruption
Power outages
Limited food availability
Weather extremes

Housing shortages
Extreme working conditions
Limited access to medical care
Potential for extreme emotional stress
Long travel distances
Transportation limitations

To  learn more - or to register for Boot Camp - visit the Red Cross website www.swpa.redcross.org or call 1-888-217-9599.

Pittsburgh, Pa.,- October 10, 2005 - Last year, the Red Cross responded to 354 emergencies---332 of them were the result of fires.

Sunday marked the beginning of the National Fire Protection Association’s Fire Prevention Week and the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter wants to ensure that families in the Pittsburgh region are aware of important fire prevention tools for their safety.

 “As the colder temperatures move into the forecast, it is essential for families to be responsible when using additional heating sources,” said Ryan Miller, Director of Social Services for the Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter.  “During the cold months people may forget to turn off kerosene heaters, electric blankets, or the stove.  It’s important for families to take precautions to prevent fires.”

Disasters such as fires can strike quickly so it is important for people to know what to do and where to go in the event of a disaster.  In an effort to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to fires, the Red Cross offers the following tips:

Install smoke alarms inside and outside of each sleeping area, outside of the kitchen and on every level of the home.  Proper maintenance of smoke alarms requires monthly tests, replacing batteries annually and replacing the actual alarm every 10 years.
Post phone numbers for local emergency services (usually 9-1-1) and the Poison Control Center near each telephone in the home.

Run extension cords only on top of floors and carpets not under them.

Keep combustible/flammable items and materials, such as curtains, chairs and firewood at least three feet away from stoves, portable space heaters, furnaces, clothes dryers, etc.

Contact your heating and cooling professionals to inspect your chimney and heating system annually.

Use flashlights for emergency lighting if you lose power, do not use candles.

For more detailed instructions on fire prevention and developing a family disaster plan, visit the Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter Web site at www.swpa.redcross.org.

Mandatory training is first step for local citizens wanting to deploy as a hurricane relief volunteer

PITTSBURGH---The American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter says there is still space open this weekend for local individuals wanting to learn what it takes to respond as a volunteer for hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The mandatory disaster training is being offered Friday, October 14 (5 p.m. - 9 p.m.) and Saturday, October 15 (9 a.m. - 6 p.m.) at California University of Pennsylvania Southpointe Campus, 135 Technology Drive, Canonsburg, PA 15317.  Register online at www.swpa.redcross.org or call 1-888-217-9599.

The class capacity is 75 but, so far, 41 people have registered. The Red Cross would like to fill the class.

The disaster training (called ‘BOOT CAMP’ since it is 12 hours of training done in a condensed format over the span of 2-3 days) provides education to the everyday citizen to be a Red Cross volunteer in areas of mass sheltering and feeding, bulk distribution and assessing disaster-caused damage.

Volunteers would be deployed on a two-week relief assignment for either Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita -and could go to affected areas along the Gulf Coast or at a number of call centers located throughout the country, including California, Niagara Falls, and Washington DC.
T

he local Red Cross is conducting Boot Camps as part of its volunteer recruitment campaign called Katrina 800.  The chapter’s goal is to recruit, train and ready for deployment 800 volunteers.

So far, more than 749 individuals have registered for Boot Camps, and 256 have completed all mandatory training.  Twenty-two local individuals have been deployed, with several more making preparations to go.
   
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are considered "hardship assignments" by the Red Cross. This means that these conditions will most likely exist:
Water disruption
Power outages
Limited food availability
Weather extremes
Housing shortages
Extreme working conditions
Limited access to medical care
Potential for extreme emotional stress
Long travel distances
Transportation limitations

To learn more - or to register for Boot Camp - visit the Red Cross website www.swpa.redcross.org or call 1-888-217-9599.

 PITTSBURGH---Lisa Fitzsimmons, of Penn Hills, a disaster relief volunteer for the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter recently returned from an assignment in response to Hurricane Katrina.
 

Fitzsimmons spent two weeks in McComb, Miss. (about 100 miles north of New Orleans) working as a Red Cross volunteer providing mental health support and education regarding stress with the Red Cross workers and local residents affected by the hurricanes.  
 

A mental health volunteer for the Red Cross for the past eight years, Fitzsimmons has responded to local fire calls, answered a hotline for flight attendants after 9/11 and held debriefings after traumatic events.
 

Hurricane season ends on Nov. 30, but the needs of the many affected by this year’s hurricanes still exist.  The American Red Cross needs volunteers willing to serve on at least a two-week assignment to help the individuals and families affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma and any other future disasters.  If interested in being trained as a Red Cross volunteer, contact the Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter at 888-217-9599 or visit online at www.swpa.redcross.org for information.

PITTSBURGH---Richard H. Ritchie, of Upper St. Clair, a disaster volunteer for the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter recently returned from an assignment in response to Hurricane Katrina.
           

Arriving less than a week after Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast states, Ritchie spent 16 days in Laurel, Miss. as a Red Cross volunteer working in a Red Cross kitchen and food distribution operation that served the four counties around Laurel, Miss. His responsibilities included food and supply distribution, planning delivery operations with the local Laurel Red Cross Chapter, scheduling the transporting vehicles and supervising other volunteers. This operation delivered 50,000 to 85,000 hot meals, prepackaged meals and snacks per day.
           

A volunteer for the Red Cross for three years, Ritchie did local disaster relief activities during last September’s local flooding and last spring the flooding in Yardley, Pa. 
           

Hurricane season ends on Nov. 30, but the needs of the many affected by this year’s hurricanes still exist.  The American Red Cross needs volunteers willing to serve on at least a two-week assignment to help the individuals and families affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma and any other future disasters.  If interested in being trained as a Red Cross volunteer, contact the Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter at 888-217-9599 or visit online at www.swpa.redcross.org for information.
 

PITTSBURGH---Richard Seymour, of Mt. Lebanon, a disaster volunteer for the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter recently returned from an assignment in response to Hurricane Katrina.
 

Seymour spent 15 days in New Orleans, La. working as a Red Cross volunteer having responsibilities such as distributing cleaning supplies, food, water, blankets and ice in conjunction with the mayor of New Orleans opening up certain sections of the city.
 

Trained during the Katrina 800 “boot camps” in response to the unprecedented Hurricane Katrina disaster, Seymour is one of more than 45 volunteers to have been deployed and there are several more volunteers preparing to go.  
 

Hurricane season ends on Nov. 30, but the needs of the many affected by this year’s hurricanes still exist.  The American Red Cross needs volunteers willing to serve on at least a two-week assignment to help the individuals and families affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma and any other future disasters.  If interested in being trained as a Red Cross volunteer, contact the Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter at 888-217-9599 or visit online at www.swpa.redcross.org for information.

PITTSBURGH, PA  - While it may be difficult to imagine swimming pools and bathing suits as winter weather approaches, the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania         semiannual aquatic school can help line up a job for the summer months as a lifeguard.

To qualify for entry into the lifeguard class, you must be at least 15 years of age. You must be able to swim 500 yards (20 lengths of the pool) and be able to surface dive nine feet and retrieve a 10-pound diving brick. The swimmers that successfully complete Red Cross Aquatic School will have the proper certification to apply for summer lifeguard positions --- jobs the Red Cross says seem plentiful.

"We get inquiries from employers looking for lifeguard candidates on a regular basis. We're not an employment agency, but we do have a vested interest in making sure that we're filling a community need in addition to providing important lifesaving training to our local citizens," says Matt Clay, Manager of Health and Safety Services at the Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Red Cross. 

The American Red Cross Aquatic School will be Thursday, Dec. 1 - Sunday, Dec. 4, at University of Pittsburgh Trees Hall pool in Oakland.  To register or for more information, please call the Red Cross at 412-263-3128.

PITTSBURGH---Although the official end of the 2005 hurricane season is Nov. 30, the needs of the people affected by this year’s storms still exist and will continue for several more months if not years in some locations.  The local Red Cross is deploying eight more volunteers in support of Hurricane Katrina relief.  The group is giving up their own Thanksgiving holidays to help others.

The eight volunteers will be at the local Chapter Headquarters, 225 Blvd of the Allies, Thursday, Nov. 10 at 10 a.m.  They will be available for media interviews between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.

All eight of the volunteers are new and were trained through the local Red Cross “boot camps” in response to the unprecedented recruitment effort as a result of Hurricane Katrina.  Four will be going to Louisiana and Mississippi to perform functions such as bulk distribution and feeding and then four will go to Virginia to one of the several Red Cross financial assistance call centers.

While much of the hurricane coverage has become fewer and farther between locally, hurricane relief needs still exist in the hardest hit areas where electricity is still out, roads and bridges are damaged or destroyed and water is still not potable.

Louisiana: the Red Cross is sheltering more than 700 people in 11 shelters.  They are serving 57,000 meals daily from 52 mobile feeding vehicles and 31 fixed food distribution locations.  There are more than 1300 Red Cross volunteers still working in Louisiana.

Mississippi: there are more than 260 people in 5 Red Cross shelters.  Volunteers are serving 22,000 meals daily and 62,000 snacks with 74 mobile feeding vehicles and 23 fixed food distribution locations.  There are more than 560 Red Cross volunteers working in Mississippi.

The American Red Cross needs volunteers willing to serve on at least a two-week assignment to help the individuals and families affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma and any other future disasters.  If interested in being trained as a Red Cross volunteer, contact the Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter at 888-217-9599 or visit online at www.swpa.redcross.org for information.