Red Cross volunteer deploying to Texas
PAWTUCKET, RI,( December 30, 2015) – American Red Cross volunteer Henry Lesieur is
deploying to Texas to support Red Cross relief efforts in the wake of the deadly
storms which have been hammering communities across most of the country since before
the Christmas holiday. Lesieur is traveling to Dallas, Texas. Once there, Lesieur
will serve as a Disaster Mental Health Supervisor. Henry is one of close to 3,000
Red Cross volunteers in the Connecticut and Rhode Island Region of the American Red
Cross, and is a responder from the Pawtucket area.
Several days of tornadoes, flooding and winter storms left behind damaged homes,
downed power lines and closed highways. Red Cross and community shelters are open in
Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Oregon, Illinois, Missouri, New Mexico and Oklahoma. The
Red Cross is also supporting families in Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi due to
severe weather and flooding.
More than 1,100 homes have been damaged by storms across the affected areas and the
number could increase. Hundreds of trained Red Cross disaster workers left their
loved ones and homes over the holiday and opened shelters for those affected,
providing meals, distributing comfort kits and clean-up supplies and meeting with
those affected to help them plan their next steps.
DANGER NOT OVER The storm is expected to continue to affect people over the next
several days with flash flooding, heavy snow, ice and freezing rain. The Red Cross
urges people in the path of these storms to get ready now. Information about what
people should do to prepare their household for possible flooding, tornadoes, winter
storms and other weather emergencies is available at redcross.org.
PLEASE HELP NOW The Red Cross will be helping people affected by this storm for
weeks and months to come, while at the same time responding to other emergencies,
including helping people whose homes are destroyed by fires. The Red Cross responds
to nearly 70,000 disasters each year in the United States – the vast majority of
which are home fires.
People can help by donating to Red Cross Disaster Relief to support disasters big
and small by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word
REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
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
Twitter at @RedCross