Ventura County, CA. — As the Red Cross responds to the latest tornadoes in Joplin, Missouri, it continues its multiple relief operations across the South in response to April’s tornadoes and the continued flooding along the Mississippi River. This spring, more than half of the country has been affected by damaging weather, disrupting people’s lives from North Dakota to the East Coast. Since March 31, more than 10,000 Red Cross disaster volunteers have provided thousands of overnight stays in shelters, distributed thousands of cleanup and comfort kits and served more than 1.8 million meals and snacks.

Across the Central Coast, local Red Cross chapters have already deployed more than 20 volunteers to assist with the response and recovery efforts across the U.S. – doing everything from Public Affairs, to Sheltering, Nursing and Recovery Casework. Jim McGee, Regional CEO, said, “Everyday we have seen heartbreaking images coming from the South and Midwest – to be able to send our volunteers to those locations to help our friends and neighbors in need is truly an honor. Today, our region stands ready to deploy more volunteers if necessary.”

Collectively, this is one of the largest Red Cross disaster relief operations in the history of the organization. The Red Cross depends on financial donations to help people affected by disasters like tornadoes, floods and wildfires, as well as countless crises at home and around the world. People can make a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS; people can also text the word “REDCROSS” to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to local American Red Cross chapters or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

About the American Red Cross, Ventura County Chapter:
The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Last year, more than half a million volunteers and 30,000 employees helped victims of 70,000 disasters nationwide; and taught lifesaving skills to millions. Locally, the American Red Cross, Ventura County Chapter provided services to more than 50,000 members of our community and distributed disaster preparedness and health and safety materials to thousands of school children, seniors and community members. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work. For more information, please contact the American Red Cross, Ventura County Chapter at (805) 987-1514. You can now follow the American Red Cross, Ventura County Chapter on Twitter for up to date information: @RedCrossVentura.