Red Cross Helps Prepares Community for Disaster

 Levittown, PA, February 5, 2008 – In response to the 2-alarm fire at Crestwood Condominiums (January 7, 2008), the American Red Cross Lower Bucks County Chapter completed a community outreach project on February 2.  Nine disaster volunteers delivered approximately 250 packets with disaster preparedness materials door-to-door at the Condominium complex.  The packets were another way to help our neighbors become better prepared.  The American Red Cross will be here for the Lower Bucks community before, during and after a disaster. 

Ninety-six percent of Americans agree that it’s important to prepare for a disaster, but only seven percent have taken the necessary steps to do so according to recent American Red Cross polling.  This March during Red Cross Month the Lower Bucks County Chapter is encouraging residents to take three simple actions to get “Red Cross Ready”  for disasters and other emergencies: 1) Get a kit, 2) Make a plan and 3) Be informed.

 “Taking these basic preparedness actions can better prepare you for a variety of disasters from a power outage to a hurricane,” said Kathleen Marsh, CEO of the Lower Bucks County Chapter.  “During Red Cross Month as we honor the volunteers, donors and supporters who help make our community a safer place to live, work and play, we invite everyone to join us in our mission by getting better prepared.”

Join us on March 6th for Dining for Disaster Relief.  This is a great event to help raise funds for our local disaster services department.  Area restaurants agree to donate a portion of the day’s food sales to local disaster relief efforts.  For a listing of participating restaurants please visit our website at www.redcrosslbcc.org.

A free, online education module is available at www.redcross.org/BeRedCrossReady, to guide users through the three action steps.  It includes a downloadable disaster supplies kit shopping list, emergency contact card, and instructions for creating a family disaster plan.  Brochures and community presentations can be ordered by contacting the Lower Bucks County Chapter at (215) 946-4870.

The American Red Cross Lower Bucks County Chapter is where people mobilize to help their neighbors prepare for, prevent and respond to life’s emergencies.  Governed by volunteers and supported by community donations, the American Red Cross Lower Bucks County Chapter is dedicated to saving and improving lives.  Led by over 1,300 volunteers, the Red Cross annually mobilizes relief to over 700 disaster victims, trains almost 18,000 people in lifesaving skills, exchanges more than one hundred emergency messages for U.S. military service personnel and their families, and collects nearly 12,000 pints of blood for local hospitals.  The American Red Cross Lower Bucks County Chapter also has the county’s only 24-hour homeless shelter that serves around 400 adults and children each year.  The Red Cross is the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the area and also assists victims of international disasters and conflicts at locations worldwide.