Two from Western & Central Red Cross Deploying to Help in Winter Storm Relief

UPDATED: A third Regional volunteer is also deploying to assist in the efforts

A third American Red Cross volunteer from the Western and Central New York Region is deploying to Boston, MA to help in the winter storm relief efforts. Diane Sargent of Lockport will be doing Disaster Assessment, going into affected areas to gauge where help is needed most.

Sargent joins Regional Disaster Program Officer Kenneth J. Turner of Buffalo, who will serve as Divisional Management Response Team (DMRT) Director, and volunteer Sarah Perkins of Pittsford, who will serve as Disaster Assessment Lead. All three recently served in leadership roles during the response to the Western New York Snowstorm in November 2014.

As people begin to dig out from the Northeast blizzard, the American Red Cross is helping, making sure people have food and a safe place to stay. The Red Cross opened or supported 24 shelters in Massachusetts, where more than 340 people spent Tuesday night in Red Cross and independent shelters. Red Cross workers also served more than 4,800 meals and snacks in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

While this storm did not affect Western & Central New York, the American Red Cross urges everyone to take this time to prepare themselves and their loved ones for disasters like winter storms. The Red Cross is partnering with New York State to offer free Citizen Preparedness Corps Training. A trained Red Cross representative will provide a comprehensive overview on how to prepare for, respond to and recover from natural and man-made disasters. A 15-minute online version of this program is also available at http://prepare.ny.gov/online-citizen-preparedness-training  (select Red Cross from the referral dropdown menu), or to schedule an in-person Citizen Preparedness Corps training, please contact Individual and Community Preparedness Specialist Veronica Chiesi Brown at 585-241-4405 or veronica.chiesibrown@redcross.org.

The Red Cross relies on financial contributions to provide help and comfort to disaster victims anywhere, anytime. You can help people affected by disasters like winter storms, home fires and countless other crises by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.