|
Six Oregon Trail Chapter volunteers are being dispatched to Montana today to provide emergency relief assistance for those affected by wildfires.
Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer declared a State of Emergency Sunday as wildfires continued to blacken nearly 28 square miles northeast of Missoula forcing residents to evacuate over 200 homes. Additionally, nearly 50 homes ahead of a fire in the Flathead National Forest remain evacuated and residents of the Good Creek area to the north may also be evacuated, furthering the need for assistance for American Red Cross disaster volunteers from the Oregon Trail Chapter service area.
Due to the urgency of this particular deployment, several Oregon Trail Chapter volunteers have had only a few hours notice before leaving for their three week assignment in disaster affected areas. Oregon Trail Chapter staff and volunteers were called in Sunday to begin deployment operations to ready disaster volunteer responders for today’s deployment. Volunteers will arrive in Montana as early as this evening to begin shelter operations in the affected areas providing assistance in the form of sheltering, feeding, and emotional support.
For more information, contact Oregon Trail Chapter at 503-528-5639 or visit www.redcross-pdx.org.
The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization, led by volunteers, that provides relief to victims of disaster and helps people prevent, prepare and respond to emergencies. Oregon Trail Chapter Red Cross volunteers respond to residential fires and other disasters every 40 hours on average. All Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from Oregonians. Financial gifts help provide food, clothing, shelter, counseling and other emergency services. To help those in immediate need call (503) 284-1234 or visit www.redcross-pdx.org. |
.gif)
