In preparation for Hurricane Ian, the American Red Cross has moved hundreds of trained volunteers from across the country and tens of thousands of relief supplies to Florida and is opening dozens of shelters to make sure people have a safe place to ride out the storm. We are working closely with our partners and local officials to ensure help is available when and where people need it most.
Dean Otta of Mount Zion, a Red Cross volunteer from the South Central Illinois chapter of the Illinois region, is on standby to deploy to Florida this week to join the efforts of hundreds of Red Cross volunteers. Dean has served as a Red Cross volunteer for nearly 12 years and has volunteered in other disaster relief roles, including deploying to Oregon in 2020 during the wildfires in that state.
Dean will be available for media interviews today between noon and 2 p.m. Please contact brian.williamsen@redcross.org or call (309) 204-7655 to arrange an interview.
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 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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