Oregon Trail Chapter Latest News

HILLSBORO, Ore. – July 16, 2006 – Volunteers from the American Red Cross Oregon Trail Chapter were mobilized early Sunday evening to assist the families left homeless by the vintage fighter plane that crashed into a Hillsboro neighborhood, on the block of NE Harvest and 60th, at 4:23 PM. The plane crashed shortly after take off, killing the pilot.

Three homes were destroyed and one damaged. Fortunately, none of the residents in the neighborhood were injured. The Red Cross responded with seven Disaster Action Team members, 2 mental health workers, and a canteen truck with a three-person work crew. As of this release, three people were displaced from their homes. The Red Cross workers provided immediate shelter as well as assistance for food, clothing, and other essential supplies to the affected families. The canteen crew provided food and beverages to over 40 police, fire, and rescue personnel at the scene.

The families affected by this disaster will work with Red Cross case workers at the chapter office on Monday to continue the process of recovery.

The American Red Cross Oregon Trail Chapter assists victims of fire and other local disasters and emergencies and provides immediate cash assistance for housing, food, clothing and other necessities at no charge. These services are provided thanks to the generosity of Oregonians who volunteer and make financial contributions to their local Red Cross. Call (503) 284-1234 or visit www.redcross-pdx.org to help provide local lifesaving services and be a part of the largest humanitarian network in the world.

The American Red Cross has helped people mobilize to help their neighbors for 125 years. Last year, victims of a record 72,883 disasters, most of them fires, turned to the nearly 1 million volunteers and 35,000 employees of the Red Cross for help and hope. Through more than 800 locally supported chapters, more than 15 million people each year gain the skills they need to prepare for and respond to emergencies in their homes, communities and world. Almost 4 million people give blood—the gift of life—through the Red Cross, making it the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The Red Cross helps thousands of U.S. service members separated from their families by military duty stay connected. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, a global network of more than 180 national societies, the Red Cross helps restore hope and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.

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American Red Cross, Oregon Trail volunteers respond to house fires every 32 hours on average.
To assist the Red Cross in providing disaster relief, please call (503) 528-5634.
To prepare yourself and your family for fire or other disasters, go to www.redcross-pdx.org