American Red Cross disaster relief operation continues to  adjust its service locations and services to address changing community needs.  Locations and details found here:

Red Cross Flood Relief Center Extends Operation Through 5 p.m., Friday, Dec. 21

The American Red Cross will extend the operation of the flood relief center in Lewis County (Located at the Bethel Church — 132 Kirkland Road, Chehalis) through Friday, Dec. 21 at 5 p.m. to assist those who are still in need of short-term assistance. At that time, the relief center will transition staff and services to pre-disaster, local Red Cross chapter offices. All Red Cross assistance is free, available to all with verified, disaster-caused needs.

Flood and storm survivors in need of assistance to meet their basic and immediate needs or emotional support to cope with their losses are encouraged to call 1-866-GET-INFO through Friday, Dec. 21.

Starting on Saturday, Dec. 22, clients are asked to make an appointment with one of the following Red Cross offices.

Pacific County:

American Red Cross Southwest Washington Chapter

Pacific County Office

2870 Ocean Ave.

Raymond, WA 98577
Phone: 360-875-6012

Office Hours: Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Grays Harbor County:

American Red Cross Mount Rainier Chapter

Grays Harbor Office

21 Clemons Rd. N
Montesano, WA 98563
Phone: (360) 249-2341

Office Hours: Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Lewis County:

American Red Cross Mount Rainier Chapter

Lewis County Office

1817 South Market Blvd.
Chehalis, WA 98532
Phone: (360) 748-4607

Office Hours: Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Starting Wed., Dec. 26 – Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Pierce County:

American Red Cross Mount Rainier Chapter

Tacoma Office

1235 South Tacoma Way
Tacoma, WA 98409
Phone: (253) 474-0400

Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Thurston & Mason Counties:

American Red Cross Mount Rainier Chapter

Thurston-Mason Counties Office

2618 Twelfth Court SW
Olympia, WA 98502
Phone: (360) 352-8575

Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Starting Wed., Dec. 26 – Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

*Individuals living in North Mason County please contact the West Sound Office in Kitsap County.

Kitsap County:

American Red Cross Serving King & Kitsap Counties

West Sound Office

811 Pacific Ave.                                                     

Bremerton, WA 98337                                

Phone: (360) 377-3761

Office Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. & Friday 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

*Individuals living in North Mason County please contact the West Sound Office

King County:

American Red Cross Serving King & Kitsap Counties

Headquarters

1900 25th Ave. South

Seattle, WA  98114-3097

Phone: (206) 323-2345

Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Snohomish County:

American Red Cross Snohomish County Chapter

2530 Lombard Ave.

Everett, WA 98201

Phone: (425) 252-4103

Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Clallam & Jefferson Counties:

American Red Cross Olympic Peninsula Chapter

151 Ruth’s Place
Sequim, WA 98382
Phone: (360) 457-7933

Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

*Holiday Closures Will Be Posted at Each Office

In a small rural town near Chehalis, Wash, life revolves around the local high school – basketball games, fundraisers and parent-teacher conferences keep families and neighbors connected. And residents of Adna and the American Red Cross weren’t going to allow a flood to disrupt that tradition. Volunteers delivered warm meals to the Adna High School to give families a break from cleaning up their homes and property, visit with friends and learn about flood relief services available in the community. The more than 150 mud-caked boots that walked through the cafeteria doors symbolized this community’s resiliency and the tight-knit community the Red Cross is working so hard to restore.

During a recent community meeting in Rochester, Wash., Red Cross volunteer Zach Sullivan visited with a Thurston County family affected by the flood, helped them identify their needs and set priorities for their recovery. Red Cross caseworkers, in partnership with other community organizations, are offering assistance and advice to residents at more than a dozen town hall meetings scheduled this week in Southwest Washington.

Shelter residents and Red Cross workers took a minute to clown around with comedic entertainers from Yakima, Wash., and relieve some stress caused by last week’s flooding. The troop lifted spirits, brought joy and laughter for the dozens of families staying at Red Cross shelter in the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Chehalis, Wash.

Red Cross volunteer Susan Winters plays with children while parents receive flood relief assistance at the service center established at the Bethel Church in Chehalis, Wash. Last week’s events were undoubtedly frightening for adults, but they were especially traumatic for children. With the help of the local community and their families, the Red Cross is trying to restore daily routines to help children cope with their anxiety by providing a safe place to play and talk about their experiences. The simple act of playing with dolls and trucks, something they did regularly before the disaster, helps reduce their fears and gives them hope. Licensed mental health professionals are available to provide emotional support to children and adults afftected by the flood at all Red Cross sites in Southwest Washington.

All material from ARC video crews is available for viewing and download via our FTP site.

To access the FTP site go to:

www.videobluemoon.com/login.php

In the e-mail address field, type oregonflood (as written: lower case – one word)

Password: redcross (again, as written)

In the index page that follows, just click on the link for the video you want to see.

A page will build (after a few moments) that includes a viewing frame with a still image from the video.  To view the video, just click on the image. QuickTime must be installed on the computer for this video to be seen. (most computers used by TV personnel will have it installed) It’s a free plug-in from Apple available at www.apple.com.

The video can either be viewed for preview, or downloaded by newsroom personnel for broadcast. The video is a MPEG-2 program stream file – high resolution for broadcast.

He has been dubbed the “Red Cross Baby.” Dagoh Jackson Howell-Patron was born late in the evening on December, 9, weighing 7lbs. 4oz. and measuring 20.5 inches in length. The days surrounding his birth were anything but routine. His mother 20-year-old Jaci Howell, then nine months pregnant, put the blue clothes, toys and blankets she had been collecting in anticipation of his birth on top of her bed when the flooding started; it was the highest place she could find. Luckily, she was able to get out of the house by wading through water that quickly overtook her pregnant belly. She hoisted herself into a passing truck carrying other evacuees, grateful for the assistance from her neighbors but worried she was going to losing everything, including her unborn son. Concerned friends and family members cheered as the truck pulled into the Red Cross shelter parking lot, bringing the expectant mom to safety. Jaci was quickly provided with a warm place to stay for the four days leading up to his birth. A few days after being rescued and coincidently her due date, she visited the newly opened Red Cross assistance center in Chehalis, Wash., and with the help of its staff, she was able to put some of her worries away and focus on the miracle that was expected at anytime. Within hours of receiving help from the Red Cross for the second time that week, Jaci gave birth to her first son in a nearby hospital. One of the first phone calls she made after he was born was to her new Red Cross family to thank them for giving her a place for her and her son to go when they leave the hospital and start restoring what the flood took from them.

Dozens of residents, including Angela Tauscher are picking up tarps, brooms and other supplies at the Red Cross distribution center at Bethel Church in Chehalis, Wash. after receiving assistance at the co-located service center. Angela lost the bottom floor of her home to flood waters that is now, inches of thick of smelly mud. “I just want my kids back together,” she said. All four of Angela’s kids, ages six and under, are staying in separate places with friends and family, until they can be reunited in one, clean home again. The supplies being unloaded by Red Cross volunteers at the distribution site will help Angela repair her home and her family just in time for Christmas.

At nine months pregnant, with only days before her due date, the last thing Cassie Brandt thought she would be doing was wading through waist deep water to escape her home flooded home. Today, Cassie and her daughter, Alex, are visiting the Red Cross service center in Chehalis, Wash. to begin the recovery process before she adds another member to their family. Alex, missing her toys, hugs a Mickey Mouse doll given to her by a Red Cross volunteer – a small comfort to a little girl who has lost so much. On her way out of the service center, the soon-to-be big sister picked up another toy for her new little brother. Thanks to a donation from The Walt Disney Company, children, like Alex, are receiving the emotional support and comfort items they need to process last week’s tragic flood.

One week ago, as helicopters hovered and sirens blared throughout the small town of Centralia, Wash., lifelong resident and retired Red Cross volunteer, D.J. Sweeney, was pulling out her Red Cross hat and gearing herself up to help with what would become the worst flood she had ever seen hit her hometown. As soon as she learned the waters began to flood neighboring homes, she called into her local Red Cross office to find out how she could help. She hadn’t been an active volunteer for a while because she was caring for an ailing relative, but she was trained and knew they would need help. Minutes later, she was on her way to one of several Red Cross shelters already set up to receive evacuees.

“There were choppers everywhere, and they just kept bringing people all night long,” she said.

People from every walk of life departed the helicopters in the same condition — soaking wet with nothing but their children in their arms. Thankfully, D.J. and other Red Cross volunteers who live in the area were ready to receive them with warm blankets, a safe place to stay and emotional support.

“(As soon as they arrived) people started coming in asking ‘have you seen my daughter?” or ‘have you seen my daddy?’” she said. “It was heart wrenching. I’ve helped after tornadoes and hurricanes. But this is the worst; these are my people and this is my home town.”

The Red Cross is urging people in the affected areas to register at the Red Cross Safe and Well website found at www.redcross.org so that family members and loved ones can determine their well-being.

Today and every day since she first responded, D.J. has been out on the streets assessing the damage to her neighbors’ homes caused by the Washington floods, including those of her family and longtime friends. The information she collects will help Red Cross caseworkers provide individuals and families with the means to replace essential items like food, clothing and medications as well as locate rental units and other community services.