Denver, Monday, August 27, 2018 – The American Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming responded to a variety of disasters in July ranging from home fires to wildfires to tornados and floods. More than 240 disaster volunteers were engaged to help with the wildfire response. More than 200 homes were destroyed as the fires scorched nearly 400,000 acres. Our volunteers opened seven shelters and provided more than 600 overnight stays serving nearly 20,500 meals and snacks.
A video has been posted on YouTube with a summary and photos about our response to the wildfires. You can view the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T36g5Mob9ig or on our blog at http://cowyredcrossblog.org/?p=2106&preview=true.
Breakdown of the CO & WY 87 county service area:
Mile High Chapter (MHC): 222 individuals received aid; more than 67 were under 18 years old and 12 over the age of 65 were helped. The MHC response area includes 10 counties in the Denver Metro area.
Southeastern Colorado Chapter (SeCO): 42 individuals received aid; Two people are >65 years of age and 13 people are under 18 years old. The SeCO response area includes 16 counties.
Northern Colorado Chapter (NoCO): 6 individuals received aid with 5 being >18 years of age. The NoCO response area includes 11 counties.
Western Colorado Chapter (WeCO): 5 individuals received aid. The WeCo response area covers 27 counties, serving all western Colorado and the San Luis Valley.
Wyoming Chapter: 18 individuals received aid; 5 individuals were under age 18 and 2 were over the age of 65. The Wyoming Chapter response area covers all 23 counties that make up the state of Wyoming.
The families and individuals were provided a place to stay, money for clothes, food and medicine. Along with providing casework for the residents in a quick and efficient time frame, Red Cross volunteers will continue to provide support to these families going forward, by doing follow up work to ensure all needs are met and the individuals have a clear path to recovery from this personal disaster.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.