Many families are returning home to discover that their homes are uninhabitable or condemned. The Red Cross opened a shelter over the weekend in LaSalle County at Skydive Chicago (3215 E 1969th Rd in Ottawa) to provide these families with a place to go. We are working closely with local officials to determine how long the shelter will be needed.

The Red Cross will be helping people get back on their feet for some time after this flooding. Caseworkers are canvasing areas affected by flooding and helping those affected to determine their long-term recovery plan.

The Red Cross is still providing clean up kits,snacks and water and other items to those affected by flooding on mobile and fixed routes.
Fixed sites: (Please call to confirm hours before going). Hennepin (LaSalle County) – Old Steel Workers Union Hall and Chillicothe (Peoria County) – Chillicothe Fire Department.

The American Red Cross is providing food, supplies, emotional support and health services in communities recovering from flooding in the Midwest.
Workers are providing emotional support as well as food and water to people forced from their homes and personnel fighting the floodwaters. In Illinois alone, the Red Cross has provided over 3,500 mental health and health services contacts to date.
More than 800 Red Cross staff and volunteers in Illinois have served over 91,000 meals and snacks.
Workers are handing out relief items like comfort kits, cleaning supplies, buckets and mops. To date, the Red Cross has handed out over 72,000 relief items across Illinois.

We don’t yet know the cost of this extensive operation, but based on the historic flooding, it will be sizable. Our focus is to cover our expenses to deliver vital services to our friends and neighbors. Any gift, large or small, can make all the difference to families facing a long and difficult road to recovery.

Financial donations to Red Cross Disaster Relief can be made by visiting www.redcross.org/donate, calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or texting “REDCROSS” to 90999 to make a $10 donation.