Press release from the American Red Cross:
Volunteers Commemorate Dr. King by Providing Lifesaving Fire Safety Information
(January 14, 2011) – American Red Cross;, Protechs, Inc. and 1-800-BoardUp; Hope Worldwide and Fort Wayne Fire Department volunteers will canvass Fort Wayne neighborhoods to distribute fire prevention and safety tips and smoke detectors.
Dr. King once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘what are you doing for others?'” This Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend, American Red Cross; Protechs, Inc. and 1-800-BoardUp; Hope Worldwide and Fort Wayne Fire Department volunteers are partnering together to do a lot for others in Fort Wayne. They are distributing vital fire safety information to help Fort Wayne residents prevent home fires, protect their loved ones and strengthen their community.
- Who: 100 community volunteers will join the American Red Cross, a humanitarian organization that helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Volunteers will represent Red Cross, 1-800-BoardUp, Fort Wayne Fire Department, Mayors Youth Council, Concordia Lutheran Key Club, St. Francis, Trine University, IPFW and others.
- What: Volunteers will canvass door-to-door throughout the neighborhoods between East Masterson and Gumper Road and Holten Avenue and Fairfield Avenue, talk with residents and leave behind door hangers with fire safety information. The door hangers include information about smoke alarms, creating a household fire escape plan and tips for cooking and heating a home safely this winter. The fire department will provide smoke detectors to those in need.
- When: Monday, January 17, from 8 a.m. – noon
Protech’s Inc., will provide lunch at Zion Lutheran Church following canvassing- Where: Zion Lutheran Church, 2313 Hanna Street, Fort Wayne
Canvassing will occur in the neighborhoods between East Masterson and Gumper Road and Holten Avenue and Fairfield Avenue .- Why: Home fires are Northeast Indiana’s most prevalent disaster threat. Last year, the Northeast Indiana chapter responded to 116 residential fires, assisting 506 local residents.
- RSVP: RSVP to Ashley Kostelnik at kostelnika@usa.redcross.org; 260.484.9336 x 225.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation’s blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. The American Red Cross of Northeast Indiana serves seven counties: Allen, DeKalb, Noble, Steuben, Wells and Whitley Counties in Indiana and Williams County in Ohio. For more information, call (260) 484-9336 or 1-800-513-2599, or visit redcrossofnei.org.