Family Reunification Line now open for Manitoba flood evacuees
Red Cross Urging Evacuees to Register
(Winnipeg, MB – March 26th, 2009) The Canadian Red Cross Manitoba Region has opened a Family Reunification Line to assist evacuees and their friends and family. The line will be operational from 9am until 8pm daily for the remainder of the flooding in Manitoba and is being staffed by a team of dedicated volunteers.
The Red Cross is urging all individuals or family groups who have evacuated from flood affected areas to please register by calling the Family Reunification Line at 1-888-662-3211.
The line has been activated at the request of municipalities affected by ongoing flooding, but is available for any Manitoban wishing to register as an evacuee throughout the province over the coming flood season.
“This line should help make it more convenient for evacuees to register wherever they are, without having to go down to a reception centre that might not be accessible or convenient,” says Amanda Herbert, Disaster Response Team Director with the Red Cross in Manitoba.
Currently, two reception centres have been set up for evacuees north of Winnipeg—in the RM of West St. Paul and the RM of St. Andrews. Red Cross volunteers have been asked by both municipalities to perform registration services on site. Volunteers are already registering evacuees in West St. Paul. Volunteers will begin registering evacuees in St. Andrews by 4pm today. The Family Reunification Line will supplement Red Cross volunteers on the ground, and be ready for further evacuations.
“It’s extremely important for evacuess to register,” says Hebert. “We need accurate records of evacuees, so family members can locate one another, and appropriate levels of assistance and support can be determined to ensure all evacuees' needs are met.”
The Canadian Red Cross is a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement that includes 186 national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
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For more information, contact:>
Michelle French, Public Affairs Coordinator
Canadian Red Cross, Manitoba Region
Tel: (204) 982-7315; Cell: (204) 223-9753
Heather Badenoch, Senior Public Affairs Advisor
Canadian Red Cross, National Office
Tel: (613) 740-1928; Cell (613) 222-6196
