Disaster Relief Team Deployed to Oklahoma

As search and rescue operations continue after a massive mile-wide tornado shattered a southern suburb of Oklahoma City, our disaster relief team has deployed to the region to assess urgent needs and coordinate deliveries of emergency aid for victims of the heartbreaking disaster.Our team is reaching out to our extensive network of free clinics and community health centers in Oklahoma along with shelters and other nonprofit organizations in the area to help injured and displaced victims with deliveries of acute and chronic care medicines and relief supplies.  As an initial step, we are working with Nestlé Waters North America and Feeding America to bring bottled water to food banks in the region to support displaced people and first responders.”The early hours of an emergency are the most critical,” explained AmeriCares Vice President of Emergency Response, Garrett Ingoglia.  “We keep a stock of targeted medicines, family emergency kits and relief supplies on hand to help partner clinics in disaster-prone areas, so we are ready to respond quickly.”The death toll continues to mount in the aftermath of the deadly twister, which flattened hundreds of homes and buildings, and damaged hundreds more, including an elementary school and a medical center. A state of emergency has been declared, the Oklahoma National Guard has been deployed. Meanwhile, our emergency outreach efforts work to identify and fill urgent health care gaps. AmeriCares has a long history of helping survivors of U.S. disasters, including tornadoes, floods, hurricanes and wildfires and most recently, an ongoing $5 million Hurricane Sandy Relief program. Wherever disaster strikes in the U.S. and around the world, we are ready to help save lives and restore health and hope. Learn more about our U.S. Disaster Relief program here.

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