Volunteer disaster responders with the American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois responded to 11 fires from Monday, September 9 to today across the region in Harvey, Glen Ellyn, Carpentersville, Polo, Sterling with 6 of these fires happening in Chicago.
The Red Cross helped 37 individuals, including 26 adults and 11 children who were affected with temporary housing, food, clothing and comfort kits with toiletry items, information about recovery services and health and mental health services and, depending on the circumstances, financial assistance.
The Red Cross responds to 3 to 4 home fires every day in Northern Illinois. The Red Cross recommends two easy steps to help protect your home and loved ones from a fire: get a smoke alarm and create a fire escape plan. For more Red Cross fire safety and preparedness information visit www.redcross.org/prepare.
This past week, volunteers with the Red Cross also assisted two Waukegan families that were displaced due to flooding in their homes. The Red Cross provided immediate assistance with temporary housing, comfort kits with toiletry items, information about recovery services and financial assistance. For tips on how to stay safe during flooding, Click this link.
HOW YOU CAN HELP You can make a difference in the lives of people impacted by Hurricane Dorian in both the U.S. and the Bahamas. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), or text the word DORIAN to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster. In the U.S., this includes providing food, shelter, relief supplies, emotional support, recovery planning and other assistance.
About the American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois:
The American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois serves 9.5 million people in 21 counties including Boone, Bureau, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Jo Daviess, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Putnam, Stephenson, Whiteside, Will and Winnebago. 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/il/chicago or visit us on Twitter @ChicagoRedCross.