Red Cross To Hazelwood and Mill Park: Get Prepared!
 
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| Lise Harwin |
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April 10, 2009
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PORTLAND, Ore. – When the American Red Cross comes a-knockin’, look for free smoke detectors, batteries and first aid kits.
These supplies will be given away on Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., as volunteers, staff and community partners conduct door-to-door safety outreach in Portland’s Hazelwood and Mill Park neighborhoods. The two outer eastside neighborhoods were identified after mapping the areas of Portland with the highest need for Red Cross emergency assistance.
“We know these neighborhoods need our help after disasters, but we want to be there before anything happens,” said Thomas Bruner, CEO of the Oregon Trail Chapter. “Together We Prepare Hazelwood/Mill Park is all about prevention – reducing house fires and taking the time to educate residents about all sorts of emergencies.”
Portland General Electric is sponsoring Together We Prepare Hazelwood/Mill Park with the support of a matching donation by CDW Corporation. "This two-day event is a great opportunity to provide important safety information to our customers to help them better prepare for unanticipated events such as power outages," said Joe McArthur, vice president of transmission and customer service at PGE and Red Cross board member. "We are proud to support this neighborhood outreach program."
About Together We Prepare Our Neighborhood:
When CEO Thomas Bruner arrived at the Oregon Trail Chapter, he inquired about the demographics of the Chapter's disaster clients and the locations of Disaster Action Team (DAT) responses.
When plotted on a map, the information pointed to a clear pattern: people in lower socio-economic neighborhoods tended to have a higher incidence of American Red Cross responses. The next question was clear; “What are we doing to help prevent emergencies and disasters in those communities?”
Together We Prepare Our Neighborhood is a large-scale prevention project where the Oregon Trail Chapter conducts door-to-door outreach in an at-risk neighborhood over a period of two days. In each neighborhood, the Chapter works with neighborhood associations, schools, social service agencies and faith communities.
Those interested in volunteering or becoming a partner for Together We Prepare Our Neighborhood should contact Linda Swift at 503-528-5619.
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In Oregon, the American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disaster every eight hours; provides more than 90 percent of the blood used by Oregon patients; teaches thousands of Oregonians lifesaving skills; provides transportation to seniors and the disabled; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization – not a government agency – and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission. For more information, please visit www.oregonredcross.org or join the conversation on our award-winning blog at www.oregonredcross.org/blog.
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