FRIDAY UPDATE: Red Cross Continues to Assist Families throughout St. Louis Region

**SHELTER REMAINS OPEN AT HAZELWOOD CIVIC CENTER AT 8969 DUNN ROAD

The American Red Cross continues to provide assistance to residents throughout the region following this week’s power storms.

In Hazelwood, a 24-hour Red Cross shelter remains open at the Hazelwood Civic Center at 8969 Dunn Road. Staff and volunteers are providing food, shelter and emotional support to residents in need.

“This shelter will remain open as long as there is a need,” said Mary Anderson, Regional Director of Disaster Services.

Over the past two nights, about a dozen local residents have spent the night in the Red Cross shelter. Last night, the Red Cross served dinner to about 100 people in the shelter. The Red Cross also provided 50 meals at the incident command center. The shelter is also staffed with a Red Cross volunteer nurse.

Red Cross disaster responders have conducted additional disaster assessments in the affected neighborhoods today. So far they have found a total of 53 houses or
apartments destroyed, and 29 with major damage. The Red Cross has opened
casework to help affected families with immediate needs such as food and
clothing; shelter continues to be provided at the Dunn Road location. The
Humane Society of Missouri is also on site at that location, to help those
affected individuals who have pets.

So far in Franklin County, Missouri, the Red Cross is assisting nine families following the storm. The Red Cross is providing food, clothing and shelter to those
affected.

In Piasa Harbor in Godfrey, IL, the Red Cross has assisted a few families with services.

Those in need of Red Cross Disaster Assistance should call 314-516-2700. Those wishing to donate to the disaster relief effort can call 314-516-2800 or visit redcross.org.

The Red Cross is able to respond quickly when emergencies happen thanks to our generous donors. The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter is a proud member agency of the United Way of Greater St. Louis, which makes significant investments every year in Red Cross services.

The Red Cross is part of the “All Ready” campaign, a unified effort among emergency preparedness experts in the bi-state region that focuses on the importance of individual preparedness. The campaign encourages the three critical steps of preparedness: Make a plan, Get a kit, Be informed.