American Red Cross: Honoring Extraordinary Members of our Community on April 29th

Volunteers with the American Red Cross Disaster Action Team, responded to 26 home fires across Chicagoland from April 19 through today. Our volunteers assisted families affected by these incidents in Brookfield, Joliet, Lansing, Naperville, Schaumburg, Romeoville and more, with 13 of these home fires taking place in Chicago. One of these incidents sadly resulted in the loss of life.

In the past week, Red Cross volunteers provided assistance to 64 individuals, including 40 adults and 24 children with temporary housing, health services, disaster mental health services, financial assistance and information about resources to help them in their recovery.

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. The Red Cross encourages everyone to talk to their children about fire safety to help families stay safe. We want to ensure families and children are prepared.  

Sound the Alarm
Red Cross volunteers continue to Sound the Alarm in Illinois as part of a national effort to educate 100,000 people about home fire safety in high-risk neighborhoods this spring. Our volunteers are offering virtual education sessions on home fire safety for residents through May 8^th. Visit SoundTheAlarm.org/Illinois to request an appointment today or to sign up to volunteer for the Sound the Alarm initiative! 

The Red Cross always need volunteers. You can find more volunteer opportunities, including virtual positions at redcross.org/volunteer.

HOW TO KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE Help protect your family against home fires by taking two simple steps:  test your smoke alarms monthly and practice your home fire escape plan until everyone can escape in less than two minutes.

• Create an escape plan with at least two ways to exit every room in your home. Select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as your neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone knows to meet.
• Practice your escape plan until everyone in your household can get out in less than two minutes
• Place smoke alarms on each level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas. Change the batteries at least once a year if your model requires it
• Check the manufacturer’s date of your smoke alarms. If they’re 10 years older, they likely need to be replaced. Follow your alarm’s manufacturer instructions.

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

Free Virtual Event on April 29^th to Honor our Community Heroes

This Thursday, April 29^th, the Red Cross will be honoring 24 exceptional individuals from across the Illinois Region for their acts of heroism, service and dedication to building better communities. These extraordinary individuals include 12 heroes from Chicagoland. A firefighter who founded an organization to keep young people off the streets, a woman who put her life at risk to save someone threatened at knife point, community activists giving a voice to the most vulnerable, and many additional outstanding individuals. Each one of these heroes embody compassion, selflessness and commitment to help others.

We invite you to meet them and hear their stories this April 29^th from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. during a free virtual event to celebrate them. Visit redcross.org/heroes to register for this event. Everyone is welcome.

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.