Chestnut Ridge Chapter                                                          Lower Burrell Office
1816 Lincoln Avenue                                                               2895-A Leechburg Road
Latrobe, Pennsylvania 15650                                                   Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania 15068
Phone:  (724)-537-3911                                                            Phone:  (724)-337-6595
Fax:  (724)-539-9502                                                                Fax:  (724)-337-6599
E-Mail:  crcredcross@covad.net                                               E-Mail:  newken@redcross.nidhog.net
Service Areas of Interest for Volunteering

  • Mass Care  The Red Cross provides
for the immediate emergency needs of
disaster victims and/or emergency workers in
a disaster affected area in a large disaster,
without identifying specific needs of individuals
or families on a case-by-case basis.  Mass
Care services are provided through sheltering,
feeding and/or direct distribution of relief supplies.  
Mass Care can be initiated upon notification of an impending disaster,
such as a hurricane, or immediately following a disaster event, such as
an earthquake or tornado. Shelters may be opened in anticipation of a
disaster, during an evacuation or after a disaster occurs.  Shelters may
be opened in commercial facilities, such as motels or hotels, community
centers, schools or any other location that is safe and far enough away
from the affected area.  Shelters are intended as a safe haven from
impending disaster and/or short-term emergency housing until disaster
victims can return to their homes or locate alternate housing after a
disaster. Mass feeding provides regular meals in shelters and other
appropriate food and snacks at additional fixed sites or via mobile
distribution for victims and workers in the affected areas.  Disaster relief
items, such as clean-up kits, comfort kits, food, water, ice, and other
items related to disaster relief and recovery may be distributed by Red
Cross staff and volunteers either at shelter locations, service centers or
via mobile crews who travel to affected areas to distribute these items.

  • Family Services  Red Cross Family Service caseworkers provide
    disaster assistance to individuals or families on a case-by-case
    basis.  Disaster victims are responsible for their own recovery, and
    Red Cross assistance is provided to facilitate and support disaster
    victim recovery efforts. Assistance that is provided by family
    service workers may include direct assistance, in the form of
    vouchers, or disbursing orders, to purchase new clothing,
    eyeglasses, prescriptions, hotel stays, groceries, household goods
    or other items that were lost in the disaster. All Red Cross disaster
    assistance is an outright grant and is based on disaster-caused
    needs a family cannot meet because of lack of resources.  No
    repayment or reimbursement for any assistance provided is sought
    or accepted from disaster victims. Other assistance provided by
    family service caseworkers includes referrals to other agencies
    that may be able to assist disaster victims, including community-
    based and government agencies.  The chapter works with a
    number of community-based and government agencies to identify
    resources available to help those who need assistance with
    housing and other post-disaster needs.

  • Disaster Mental Health Services  The chapter has trained,
    licensed mental health workers whose mission it is to provide
    emergency and preventative mental health services to disaster
    victims and workers.  The mental health workers provided by the
    Red Cross are designed to supplement the community’s existing
    mental health care delivery systems.  The mental health workers
    who respond to a disaster are there to provide brief counseling to
    disaster victims in Red Cross service delivery facilities or other
    settings.  Red Cross disaster mental health workers may also,
    based on the needs of the affected community, work with the local
    mental health community to provide an orientation, training and/or
    materials relating to disaster victims’ mental health needs.

  • Disaster Health Services  The chapter has a corps of trained
    nurses, paraprofessional personnel and other individuals with
    appropriate first aid training and experience who, when called
    upon, provide emergency and preventative health services to
    disaster victims and workers.  The primary responsibility of the Red
    Cross disaster health service workers is to supplement the
    community’s existing health care delivery systems.  In addition,
    disaster health service workers gather accurate information about
    the impact of the disaster on the health of affected individuals and
    on the health care delivery system of the communities affected.

  • Family Well-Being Inquiries  After those affected by a disaster
    feel assured that their immediate needs for food, clothing, shelter
    and medical attention have been addressed, they may experience
    considerable anxiety arising from concerns that their family
    members may be unaware of their whereabouts and well-being.  
    Persons outside a disaster area may experience similar anxiety
    about the welfare of relatives who live or work in the affected area.  
    The Red Cross Family Well-being Inquiry system provides services
    that alleviate anxiety by acting as a contact between those affected
    by the disaster and their family members.  The Red Cross collects
    information from reliable sources and attempts to match the
    information with inquiries made by family members outside the
    disaster affected area.  When family members are located, the
    Red Cross will connect the family member with the person making
    the inquiry.
Volunteers starting to set up a
feeding site at Shanksville, PA
during 9-11.