Unionville Resident Part of Red Cross Deployment

(Submitted by the Farmington-based American Red Cross)

The American Red Cross is helping thousands of people as tornadoes, flooding and wildfires continue to wreak havoc across a large part of the United States. Storms have impacted people across much of the South and Midwest, while more heavy rains in the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys bring the threat of flooding to many communities.  

Nearly 1,000 people spent Sunday night in 61 Red Cross shelters in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina and Virginia. Red Cross disaster teams are working around the clock in the affected areas, providing people with shelter, meals, emotional support and supplies to help with clean-up efforts.  

Shipman said that, since last week, eight Connecticut Region Red Crossers have deployed to Alabama and Mississippi.

“These volunteers and staff are helping in a range of services to support recovery efforts,” Shipman said. 

The Connecticut residents deployed to Alabama are:

• Cynthia Lawton, of Niantic, deployed as a Health Services Manager – helping to manage the provision of health services and referrals to people in need of additional care.
• Rebecca Triblets, of East Hampton, deployed as a Health Services Service Associate - providing health services and referrals to people in need of additional care.
• Ginny Haas, of Quaker Hill, deployed as a Safe and Well Linking Supervisor – helping to register and to facilitate reconnecting families separated by disaster.
• Terri Garneau, of Newtown, deployed as a Safe and Well Linking Service Associate – helping to register and to facilitate reconnecting families separated by disaster.
• Mark Brinkerhoff, of East Hartford, deployed as Fundraising Supervisor – helping to coordinate donation of goods and services in the affected areas, as well as facilitating financial donations and providing information to those around the nation who are supporting relief efforts.
• Evelyn McMahon, of Unionville, deployed as a Spiritual Care Service Associate – helping to provide emotional support to people affected by disaster.

The Connecticut residents deployed to Mississippi are:

• Jack Gibbs, of Woodstock, deployed as a Case Work Supervisor – helping to manage the administration and processing of paperwork and assistance provided to people affected by disaster.
• Ira Haas, of Quaker Hill, deployed as a Case Work Service Associate – meeting with people affected by the disaster to assess needs and determine assistance resources.

Also deployed from the local chapter is an Emergency Communications Response Vehicle.

“This is one of only 12 such vehicles in the nation and is a fully equipped, self-powered communications resource,” Shipman said. “It has a satellite to provide uplink capability for telephones, computers and other communications devices. The vehicle has a generator and is fully self-contained. We can quickly link to Red Cross resources for fast processing of client needs and can also provide emergency communications in areas where the infrastructure is not operational.” 

Shipman said that the need for volunteers and equipment is likely to continue. He said the Red Cross recruits and trains volunteers to be ready for local disaster response and to deploy in support of national Red Cross relief operations like those currently underway in several states.

“These storms have been ferocious, causing significant damage across large parts of the country. We appreciate the wonderful generosity of our volunteers in their gifts of time help us to maintain a strong response. We are also grateful to those give their dollars to support the work of sheltering, feeding, counseling and providing assistance to the people who have been struck by these disasters.”

As the recovery process continues in the South, attention now turns toward possible flooding in several states, including Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky.

“The American Red Cross is working in communities across the nation to help people recover from the extreme weather that is occurring this spring,” said American Red Cross Connecticut spokesperson Paul Shipman. “Red Cross disaster teams are making sure people have a safe place to stay and food to eat.” 

Those who want to help the people affected by these disasters, as well as countless crises at home and around the world, can make a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Their gift will enable the Red Cross to prepare for and provide shelter, food, emotional support and other disaster assistance.

To make a donation, people can visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS. Contributions may also be sent to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.