American
Red Cross volunteer Dominic DiGirolamo of Belmont will be deploying Saturday to
Washington State to provide Disaster Mental Health services as part of the
ongoing wildfire relief efforts. DiGirolamo becomes the fourth Western and
Central New York Regional volunteer to deploy to assist in the wildfire
response, joining John Craft of Penfield, Diana McLaughlin of Rochester and
Donald Nelson, Jr. of Endwell.
The
fires burning in the state of Washington are the largest in history, consuming
about 600,000 acres so far. Red Cross workers have opened 12 shelters since the
fires started, providing more than 750 overnight stays for evacuees. Many more
people are visiting the shelters during the day for meals, to get information,
or to charge mobile devices.
More
than 100 Red Cross workers have provided more than 12,000 meals and snacks,
including meals for U.S. military helping fight the fires. The Red Cross
distributed hundreds of relief supplies and helped almost 400 people with
health services such as replacing prescriptions and lost eyeglasses.
Caseworkers are meeting with residents to provide assistance and access to
other help.
The American Red Cross is also responding as
Tropical Storm Erika heads for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico,
reaching Florida by Monday with 50 mph winds and several inches of rain.
On the U.S. Virgin Islands, 56 people spent
Wednesday night in several Red Cross supported shelters as Erika neared the
region. Red Cross workers in Puerto Rico are ready to respond, with relief
supplies set to be distributed where needed. Weather experts expect little
change in the storm’s strength as it nears Florida. Parts of the state could
see heavy rain, strong winds and high waves along the Atlantic Ocean. Strong
winds extend out as much as 105 miles from the center of the storm. The Red
Cross across Florida is getting ready to respond as needed, with workers
standing by, shelter sites identified and relief supplies ready to distribute.
In the Pacific, Hurricane Ignacio could come close
to Hawaii as early as Monday. The storm is already carrying winds as strong as
85 mph and is forecast to get stronger over the next few days. The Red Cross
already has supplies on Hawaii because of earlier storms and is watching the
situation closely, ready to respond as needed.
HOW YOU CAN HELP People can help by donating to Red Cross
Disaster Relief by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word
REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Donations to Disaster Relief will be
used to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and
small. We respond to nearly 70,000 other disasters every year, from home fires
to hurricanes and more. Learn more about how Disaster Relief donations have
helped people affected by previous disasters including home fires.
