Back-to-back massive disasters have kept thousands of Red Cross volunteers working tirelessly for weeks across the country to provide food, shelter and comfort to tens of thousands of people in need, after multiple major hurricanes and tropical storms tore through the South and devastating wildfires in much of the West.
Leslie Luther, executive director of the American Red Cross of Northwest Illinois, is deploying to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to join hundreds of Red Cross workers who are helping both on the ground and virtually.
Luther will be acting as an Operational Management Elected Official Liaison, assisting with relief efforts for Hurricanes Laura and Delta. She will be working with elected officials to address concerns, assess service needs and collaborate on our response efforts.
Interview Availability: Leslie Luther is available for virtual interviews during her deployment. Please contact Hannah Allton (312) 533-8366 hannah.allton@redcross.org to coordinate.
Hurricane Delta B-Roll Here
Our work, which is just beginning, is focused on making sure people have a safe place to stay, food to eat, emotional support and other critical assistance. Volunteers are also providing individual care contacts to help people with medical or disability needs, as well as providing emotional and spiritual support during these challenging times. This includes replacing prescription medications, eyeglasses or other medical equipment.
HOW YOU CAN HELP You can help people affected by disasters like hurricanes and wildfires by making a gift to Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 800-RED-CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
About the American Red Cross of Illinois
The American Red Cross of Illinois serves 12.4 million people in 88 counties in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri including Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cook, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, De Witt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Green, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson Winnebago, Woodford. Iowa: Lee, Muscatine, Scott and Van Buren. Missouri: Clark, Lewis, Marion and Ralls. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit us at Redcross.org/Illinois or visit us on Twitter @RedCrossIL.