Additional WNY/Finger Lakes Volunteers Deploying to Colorado

Tara Hughes providing Mental Health services following Navy Yard tragedy

Tara Hughes of Amherst, NY sharing Red Cross coping tips
following the Boston Marathon bombing in April. Tara is
now part of the Disaster Mental Health team responding to
the Navy Yard shooting.

The American Red Cross joins the nation and the Washington, D.C. community in expressing our sympathy and concern for those affected by the shooting at the Washington Navy Yard. Tara Hughes of Amherst, NY deployed on Tuesday to assist in the Disaster Mental Health response. Hughes recently led the Disaster Mental Health efforts following the Boston Marathon bombing and Sandy Hook school shooting.

In Colorado, the American Red Cross is supporting rescue operations by providing food, shelter, relief supplies and comfort to thousands of people forced from their homes by devastating flash flooding.

Two additional volunteers from the Western New York and Finger Lakes Regions will be deploying to support the Red Cross relief efforts. Sarah Perkins of Pittsford is deploying on Wednesday to do Disaster Assessment, and Dominic DiGirolamo of Belmont will be providing Disaster Mental Health support when he deploys on Thursday. Six volunteers from the 17 county Region will be among the over 400 trained disaster workers staffing shelters and evacuation centers in Colorado. A full list of area deployments is below.

The Red Cross continues to work closely with local emergency management officials in Colorado to ensure people get the help they need. As many as 500 people stayed in 14 shelters across Colorado on Monday night. Working with community partners, the Red Cross has served more than 10,000 meals and snacks and provided more than 1,700 health and mental health services for those affected. In the days to come, the Red Cross will be supporting Disaster Assistance Centers by offering relief supplies and other recovery support, and as flooded areas begin to reopen, the Red Cross will be there to assess the damage, distribute cleanup supplies and support a recovery effort that will take weeks and months.

HOW TO HELP People across the flooded areas need help now. The Red Cross has launched a massive relief effort to help people in Colorado, New Mexico and Texas and needs the continued support of the public to help those affected. People can make a donation to support Red Cross Disaster Relief by visiting www.redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to someone’s local Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

WNY/FINGER LAKES RED CROSS VOLUNTEERS DEPLOYED

(FOR COLORADO FLOODING RELIEF UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)

NAME, HOMETOWN	JOB	DEPARTURE DATE
Dominic DiGirolamo, Belmont	Disaster Mental Health	9/19
Lucille Frisciano, Webster	Health Services	9/17
Tara Hughes, Amherst	Disaster Mental Health (Navy Yard)	9/17
Sarah Perkins, Pittsford	Disaster Assessment	9/18
Bippin Shaw, Rochester	Health Services	9/17
Beth Shook, Cuba	Staff Services	9/17
Ferris Tood, Canandaigua	Disaster Mental Health	9/17