Red Cross volunteers assisted 54 individuals impacted by home fires across Chicagoland from September 7 through today. Members of the Disaster Action Team responded to 20 incidents in Aurora, North Chicago, Waukegan and more, including 14 home fires in Chicago.

Red Cross volunteers helped 40 adults and 14 children with temporary emergency housing, health services, disaster mental health services, financial assistance and information about resources to assist in their recovery.

Every second counts when there’s a home fire. To help protect your household, test your smoke alarms each month and practice your escape plan until everyone can get out in less than two minutes. A fire can take a home in as little as two minutes. Therefore, escaping in less than two minutes can be the difference between survival and tragedy. 

For free home fire safety resources, including an escape plan, visit redcross.org/fire or download the free Red Cross Emergency app (search “American Red Cross” in app stores or go to redcross.org/apps). Children can also learn what to do during a home fire and other emergencies with free resources at redcross.org/YouthPrep.

If you or someone you know needs assistance after a home fire or local disaster, please call our dispatch line:
1-877-597-0747. 

Blood Donors Needed: Upcoming Community Blood Drive in Memory of AnaVictoria Segoviano

There is an ongoing, critical need for lifesaving blood as blood product distributions to hospitals remain higher than anticipated. In recent weeks, the Red Cross has seen blood donor turnout decline by nearly 10% while hospital demand for blood products continues to outpace donations. This decline in donors is believed to be due to the continued effects of the pandemic on blood drive cancellations and donor availability.

Help tackle the critical need for blood donations this fall. The American Red Cross urges donors of all blood types to give now and help ensure lifesaving transfusions are on the sidelines for those who rely on them.

Blood transfusions are one of the most common hospital procedures in the U.S. – used to help treat kids battling cancer, accident victims being rushed to emergency rooms, individuals experiencing extreme sickle cell disease pain, and people with complicated childbirths.  

If you’re healthy and feel well, we encourage you to schedule an appointment to come out to donate this Friday, September 17 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the R. Scott Falk Family Blood Donation Site located in the Rauner Center-Chicago Red Cross headquarters, 2200 W. Harrison Street, Chicago, IL 60612.

This is an annual blood drive in Memory of AnaVictoria Segoviano, who passed away at just 15 years of age in 2017 after a courageous battle with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. AnaVictoria received many blood products during the course of her treatment and her family invites you to come out to donate to help other patients like her.

Visit redcrossblood.org, or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make your appointment. Under ‘Find a Blood Drive’ enter: AnaVictoria. We encourage you to schedule an appointment to give blood in the days, weeks and months to come.

Blood drive safety
Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, and additional precautions – including face masks for donors and staff, regardless of vaccination status – have been implemented to help protect the health of all those in attendance. Donors are asked to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at the drive.

Walk-in Mobile Phlebotomist Hiring Event - $1,500 Sign-On Bonus
The American Red Cross is hosting a hiring event for positions as mobile phlebotomists within the biomedical line of service. Join the Red Cross team and make a career helping save lives. Mobile Phlebotomists help operate blood drives throughout our communities and no experience is necessary- the Red Cross provides a paid training program. Applicants will need a valid driving license and good driving record.

The walk-in hiring event will take place on Tuesday, September 14, 2021 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Rauner Center-Chicago Red Cross headquarters, 2200 W. Harrison Street, Chicago, IL 60612. All attendees are required to wear masks at the event.

*Find B-roll here – Phlebotomists/blood donation

Call for Volunteers
More than 1,500 Red Cross volunteers, including more than 40 from the Illinois Region, are working tirelessly from coast to coast to help communities impacted by back-to-back disasters across the country. Our volunteers are working around the clock to provide food, shelter and comfort to thousands struggling with the heartbreaking damage left behind by Hurricane Ida and massive wildfires in the west.

*Click here for B-roll -Hurricane Ida & wildfires

Every year, the Red Cross responds to more than 60,000 disasters with the great majority of them being home fires. Therefore, it’s critical to have trained, ready volunteers to make sure we can provide relief at a moment’s notice.  Last year, Red Cross volunteers with the Illinois Region provided immediate emergency assistance to 9,135 people after 1,832 home fires and other disasters.

Our volunteers play several important roles in their local communities, including providing aid after disasters and educating people about home fire safety. If you want to make a difference and are interested in helping your community should a disaster occur here at home or across the country, please sign up at redcross.org/volunteertoday. Below are the most needed volunteer positions in the Illinois Region:

DISASTER ACTION TEAM MEMBER
Local Disaster Action Teams provide 24-hour emergency response to local disasters, particularly home fires, ensuring that those affected have access to resources for basic necessities such as food, shelter and clothing. If you are team-oriented and want to help your neighbor here or across the country, the DAT responder may be just the thing for you.

SHELTER VOLUNTEERS
The Red Cross needs new volunteers to support disaster shelters. Volunteers will help with reception, registration, food distribution, dormitory, information collection and other vital tasks inside disaster shelters locally and nationally.

HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
The Red Cross also needs volunteers who can work in disaster shelters locally and nationally to address people’s health needs and provide hands-on care in alignment with their professional licensure (registered nurse and licensed practical nurse/licensed vocational nurse). We have both associate and supervisory level opportunities available. If you are an RN, LPN, LVN, APRN, NP, EMT, paramedic, MD/DO or PA with a current and unencumbered license, this volunteer position could be right for you.

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 Twitter @RedCrossIL.