American Red Cross Gives Military Families
Easier Access to Emergency Communication Services
Darke County, OH June 10, 2011 As part of an ongoing effort to better
serve the military community, the American Red Cross is making changes
that it will move to a single telephone number for its emergency
communication services.
Beginning June 13, 2011, at 8:00 a.m. EDT, all military members and
their families can use one number- 877-272-7337 (U.S. Toll Free) to
send an urgent message to a service member. The change means that all
military members and their families can use this single number to
initiate an emergency communication, regardless of where they live.
“An emergency situation can be a very stressful time for a military
family, and having just one common telephone number to remember can
make a difficult situation a little easier,” said Sherri Brown, Senior
Vice President for Service to the Armed Forces. “U.S. military
personnel and their families can remain confident that the Red Cross
will be there to keep them connected when there is a crisis at home.”
A call to 877-272-7337 allows Red Cross emergency communications
services to put military personnel in touch with their families
following the death or serious illness of an immediate family member,
the birth of a service member's child or grandchild or when a family
faces other emergencies. Additional Red Cross services such as
case management and emergency financial assistance also are available.
"This change allows local caseworkers to concentrate on providing
effective and comprehensive casework follow-up to the military families
home here in our community”, stated Lynne Gump, Darke County American
Red Cross Executive Director, “Additional services and referrals are
often needed besides the emergency communication piece that the
American Red Cross is known world-wide to deliver.”
The Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces program provides assistance
to more than 2 million service members and many of the nation's 24
million veterans. The Red Cross provides emergency communications
linking service members with their families during time of crisis;
comfort and care in military and veterans medical facilities; access to
financial assistance in partnership with the military aid societies;
information and referral and assistance to veterans. The Darke County
Chapter of the American Red Cross is a participating agency of the
Darke County United Way.
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