Media Advisory: Red Cross Continues Expanding Services to Residents in Southern California

People, equipment and supplies continue to stream into the region

WASHINGTON, Wednesday, October 24, 2007 — As wildfires continue to rage throughout southern California, destroying hundreds of homes and displacing hundreds of thousands of residents, the Red Cross is continuing to work with officials to support the relief effort.

Here is a snapshot of Red Cross services as of midnight, Tuesday:

• The Red Cross and its partners have opened nearly 2 dozen shelters across the region.
• 40 trucks full of supplies have arrived, bringing thousands of cots, blankets, toiletry kits and other needed items.
• 50 Mobile feeding vehicles have arrived with 25 more en route.
• Cleanup supplies are also en route. Supplies include rakes, shovels, and other useful equipment to help with cleanup in the affected communities.
• A large feeding kitchen will open today at Petco Field to support the shelters, mobile feeding and the feeding to the emergency workers.
• The local chapters have trained more than 1500 local volunteers to help with the effort.
• The national Red Cross has moved nearly 2000 additional workers to the area to help with feeding and sheltering efforts.

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 thousands of disasters across the country each year, disasters like the Midwest ice storms, 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 victims of disaster. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation. Call 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter 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.

Related Content:

• Southern California Wildfires bring out Massive Movement of Red Cross Resources
• Red Cross Opens Safe and Well Website for Southern California Wildfires