The American Red Cross and our partners are working around the clock to help to people in Puerto Rico struggling with the heartbreaking damage left behind by Hurricane Fiona.
Steve Hilgers of Mason City, a Red Cross volunteer from the Central Illinois chapter of the Illinois region, will be deploying to Puerto Rico this week to join the efforts of Red Cross volunteers, there. Steve has served as a Red Cross volunteer in other disaster relief roles, including in Louisiana last fall, following Hurricane Ida.
Steve will be available for media interviews today between 2-6 p.m. Please contact brian.williamsen@redcross.org or call (309) 204-7655 to arrange an interview.
Conditions in Puerto Rico remain dire days after Hurricane Fiona devastated the island. Homes and important infrastructure are destroyed, more than a million customers remain without power and hundreds of thousands have no water service. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has declared a public health emergency and rescues are ongoing with first responders using heavy equipment in some areas to lift people to safety.
You can help people affected by disasters like storms and countless other crises by making a gift to 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 or call 800-RED-CROSS to make a $10 donation.
About the American Red Cross of Illinois
The American Red Cross of Illinois serves 12.4 million people in 88 counties in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri including Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cook, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, De Witt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Green, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson Winnebago, Woodford. Iowa: Lee, Muscatine, Scott and Van Buren. Missouri: Clark, Lewis, Marion and Ralls. 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 us at Redcross.org/Illinois or visit us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @RedCrossIL.
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