25Aug

Responding to the Call for Disaster Relief

Update: Thursday, Aug 31, 2017 – Colorado and Wyoming Red Cross continues to support the disaster relief effort for people affected by Hurricane Harvey. We have a total of 43 Red Crossers assigned to the disaster response in Dallas and Houston, Texas and 1 person assigned to support sheltering in Louisiana.

August 29, 2017. George R. Brown Convention
Center, Red Cross Mega Shelter, Houston, Texas.
Photo:Daniel Cima/American Red Cross

Recent deployments to the Texas Gulf Coast
Southeast Colorado:
Stephan Brewton – Shelter Supervisor
Ronald Quay – Shelter worker

Northern Colorado:
Julie Demaree – Shelter worker

Wyomng:
Megan Michael-Smith – Disaster Mental Health Counselor
Britney Good – Shelter Worker


Update: Tuesday, August 29, 2017 – Since Sunday, 20 additional disaster responders from Colorado and Wyoming have deployed to support the Hurricane Harvey response. This brings our total to 39 people assigned to Hurricane Harvey Relief. The list below has the names and home chapters of the responder.

Almost 1,000 volunteers are on the ground and more help is on the way. They will be joined by a group of highly-skilled volunteers from the Mexican Red Cross who will help support shelters, distribute aid, and connect with Spanish speaking disaster survivors. Along with our partners we have served nearly 30,000 meals and snacks since the storm began.

More than 80 tractor-trailer loads of cots, blankets, ready-to-eat meals, comfort kits, kitchen supplies and cleaning supplies are now on the ground in Texas. More than half of our emergency response fleet – 200 Emergency Response Vehicles – have been activated for the operation.

You can find shelters by calling 800-REDCROSS (800-733-2767), visiting redcross.org or by downloading the free Red Cross Emergency App.

Mile High Chapter/Colorado
Bob Dewey
Constance Hoffer
Kendal Nigel Holderby
Gretchen Burdekin

Wyoming: 

Kaleigh Good
Robert Robertson
Darcie Wisehart
Sylvia Raumaker
Gypsy Petz – to Louisiana

Northern Colorado:
Ron Hedrick
Ruben Marez
Ron Hedrick
Michael Jones
Cheryl Ann Hood

Western Colorado
Kathy Urso
Michael Leak
Anthony Lopez

Southeast Colorado
Richard Muszynski
Stuart Nieburgh
Stephen Brewton

How can you help? CLICK, CALL or TEXT
The best way to help the Red Cross help the people affected by Hurricane Harvey is to go to www.redcross.org and click on donate. You can call 1-800-REDCROSS and donate by phone. You can text HARVEY to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Helping a family at a shelter! Photo:American Red Cross

ane Harvey is through a financial donation. You can go to

Can I volunteer to help?
YES, we need community volunteers to help out. If you are a strong, compassionate person with some time to volunteer contact your nearest Red Cross office or visit www.redcross.org/wyoming.

For the latest news release from the Red Cross about our Hurricane Harvey response go to: http://www.redcross.org/news/article/In-the-Wake-of-Hurricane-Harvey-Red-Cross-Relief-Efforts-Underway

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UPDATE: Friday, August 25, 2017 – as of 9 AM, Friday a total of 18 Colorado and Wyoming Disaster Responders are heading to the Texas Gulf Coast to support the disaster relief efforts due to Hurricane Harvey. In addition, one volunteer (Catherine Leventhal, from Mile High Area is responding from home in Denver to help monitor social media.

Volunteer Andrew Aerenson in the Emergency Response
Vehicle ready to head to Houston. Photo by Bill Fortune/
American Red Cross

in addition to those mentioned in earlier messaging (see below) the following are on their way to help with the response effort:

Mile High Area:
Maureen Kelly
Carroll Larremore
Larry Walz
Kevin Erickson
Catherine Leventhal (virtual)
Jaici Murcia 

Western Colorado:
Ted Mueller
Steven Harris

Volunteers from Northern Colorado Red Cross get ready
to head to Houston. Photo/American Red Cross


Northern Colorado:
Ken Harnett

Southeastern Colorado:
Sally Broomfield

Wyoming:
Spencer Pollock
Charlie Magee
Charlotte Handy

Red Cross volunteer checks out the ERV before
heading to Houston. Photo by Nigel Holderby/Red Cross

In addition to those listed above, we continue to have 2 volunteers deployed to the fires in British Columbia and 1 volunteer deployed to Kansas City, MO.

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Thursday, August 24, 2017 – The Red Cross is responding to several disasters across the Country. Major Flooding in Kansas City, Mo. and potential flooding in the Texas Gulf Coast. Equipment and volunteers from Colorado and Wyoming are heading out to help.

Kansas City, MO Flood Response
Dennis Hoyt, a volunteer from Walsenburg, CO, from the Red Cross of Southeastern Colorado, will travel to Kansas City, MO to help as a member of the Government Liaison team. He will coordinate with local, state and federal government to help direct the Red Cross response in that area.

Texas Gulf Coast Flood Response
As tropical storm Harvey increases in strength the threat of major flooding and storm surge will increase along the Texas Gulf Coast and points inland.

The Red Cross has rallied resources including people and equipment to prepare for the impact that the flooding might bring. Three Emergency Response Vehicles (ERV) and six Red Cross volunteers from Colorado will travel to Houston to begin preparation for response. The volunteers and their ERVs will depart from the Mile High Area facility in Denver.

The Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) is a large box-type vehicle that serves as the primary Red Cross vehicle for transporting food and cleanup supplies. The vehicles will be assigned to specific kitchens where they will carry food into the stricken neighborhoods. They may also be assigned to a Red Cross warehouse to transport cleanup supplies.

Bill and Judy Howell are a husband and wife team from the Northern Colorado Chapter will take the ERV from that chapter.
Andrew Aerenson is a volunteer with the Western Colorado Chapter. He and Herman Dieball from the Northern Colorado Chapter will take the Western Colorado ERV to Houston.

Eugene McGuire and Corey Hixson ,who volunteer with the Mile High Area Red Cross, will take the ERV from the Mile High Chapter to Houston.
The Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming will keep other equipment in the Region to support any disaster response needs within Colorado or Wyoming.
If you are interested in helping the Red Cross provide relief for disasters like floods you can donate to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund by visiting www.redcross.org or by calling 1-800-REDCROSS.
If you are interested in volunteering with the American Red Cross visit our website, www.redcross.org/colorado.