Red Cross comes to the aid of area tornado victims
Special to The Vista
Many Red Cross volunteers provided assistance to families impacted by the tornado that left a path of destruction and loss in Cumberland County last week.
And, on the heels of that, the volunteers were found across east Tennessee helping with the relief effort in Chattanooga and Cleveland; two of the hardest hit areas in Tennessee as well as McMinn and Monroe counties.
Workers are assisting storm clients, conducting damage assessments, providing logistics expertise and helping with feeding operations.
“Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by these severe storms this week,” said Charley Shimanski, senior vice president, Disaster Services. “Our top priorities right now are making sure people have a safe place to stay, a warm meal and a shoulder to lean on as they begin to clean-up their neighborhoods. The Red Cross is also working closely with our government and community partners to make sure everyone gets the help they need.”
“I am so proud of our ‘volunteer state’ during times like this,” said Boyd Romines, CEO East Tennessee American Red Cross. “It is humbling when you see how hard our volunteers work to help others. Their commitment and dedication is a testament to the mission of the Red Cross.”
Weather experts reported as many as 95 confirmed tornadoes touched down, destroying communities from the Great Lakes to the Southeast.
Friday night, the Red Cross opened or supported 22 shelters in Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Alabama, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. In East Tennessee, the Red Cross had 3 shelters operational last night in Harrison, TN, Tellico Plains, TN and Cleveland, TN.
How to Help
The Red Cross is able to provide immediate assistance anywhere disaster strikes because of donations of financial support of the Disaster Relief Fund.