GREAT FALLS, MONTANA, Aug. 8, 2018 — U.S. Bank has given the Montana Red Cross $5,000 to provide home fire disaster relief to Montana families.
As part of its Home Fire Campaign, the Montana Red Cross visits households across the state, installing free smoke alarms and educating families about fire safety. This spring, the Montana Red Cross installed 80 alarms in 60 Billings homes and 200 alarms in 100 homes in the Cascade area. The Montana Red Cross has installed close to 800 alarms across the state in the past year.
The Red Cross also goes into schools and afterschool programs to educate children about fire safety as part of its Pillowcase Project. During these presentations, students learn how to prevent home fires and are given information they can share with the rest of their family. At the end of the program, students receive a Disney-themed pillowcase to store their emergency kits.
These efforts are made possible thanks to the generosity of donors and corporate partners like U.S. Bank.
U.S. Bank is a member of the Montana 100 Society, a select group of corporate and individual donors who support the Red Cross of Montana’s lifesaving programs and services with contributions of $5,000 or more per year.
“U.S. Bank is proud to continue supporting Red Cross as a Montana 100 Society member,” said Todd E. Neighbor, assistant vice president and branch manager at U.S. Bank. “Red Cross helps Montanans impacted by disasters big and small, and this gift enables the Red Cross to help families and communities prevent and prepare for home fires across Montana.”
On average, seven people in the United States die every day in a home fire. Three of every five home fire deaths occur in homes without working smoke alarms.
“We are grateful for the assistance of partners like U.S. Bank,” said Diane Wright, Montana Red Cross executive director. “They are helping us keep families in Montana safe from the most common disaster in the country, home fires.”
Following a home fire, the Montana Red Cross arrives on the scene ready to assist families immediately. Staff and volunteers help families find a safe place to stay, offer financial assistance and connect them with other community resources. The Red Cross also helps replace medications and medical equipment and works with families to develop a long-term recovery plan.
About the American Red Cross:
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 redcross.org or facebook.com/redcrossmontana.