CHICAGO, June 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The American
Red Cross today recognized Kraft Foods Group Foundation for its
support of disaster response work through the Annual Disaster
Giving Program and a gift of five first-of-its-kind energy
efficient emergency response vehicles. The new fleet features
technology that will help the Red Cross increase service delivery
of food and supplies to people affected by disasters.
One of the new vehicles has already been deployed by the
American Red Cross of Chicago
& Northern Illinois as a
result of this week's severe storms in Illinois. The chapter,
which serves 9.5 million people in 21 counties in Northern Illinois, is celebrating 100 years of
service to the Chicago region in
2015.
"When disaster strikes, like the severe storms that hit
Coal City and other communities in
Northern Illinois this
week, Red Cross disaster workers climb into emergency response
vehicles and travel through neighborhoods of those in need,
providing food, water and comfort," said Richard Reed, senior vice president for Disaster
Cycle Services of the American Red Cross. "Thanks to the generous
support of Kraft Foods Group Foundation, we are adding five new
vehicles to our fleet that will help reach people in
need."
Kraft Foods Group Foundation is one of the first corporate
partners to work with the American Red Cross on the new emergency
efficient models which:
- have lower maintenance costs,
- are more fuel efficient,
- are easier to drive,
- and provide ample storage room for food and water, as well as
clean-up supplies such as rakes, shovels, and work gloves.
The new vehicles are designed to be adjustable to adapt to
disasters large and small. For example, modular features allow the
vehicle to quickly transform so that volunteers can either serve
thousands of meals a day after a tornado or meet one-on-one with a
family displaced by a home fire.
The Red Cross currently has more than 320 emergency response
vehicles in 49 states that help people in need after disasters of
any size, whether it's coastal communities devastated by Hurricane
Sandy or every day home fires down the street.
"The Kraft Foods Group Foundation is privileged to be able to
assist in helping communities in times of need," said Leah Bradford, President, Kraft Foods Group
Foundation. "At Kraft, we believe everyone deserves good food
and beverages. We are committed to leveraging our capabilities to
foster innovative and sustainable solutions in the fight against
hunger. The new and improved emergency response vehicles will
enhance Red Cross disaster response efforts by increasing access to
food and beverages for families impacted by disasters. With
our roots in Chicago, we are
especially excited to donate a vehicle to the Chicago Region as
they celebrate their 100th birthday."
Over the next decade, the Red Cross expects to replace and
potentially increase the current fleet while saving millions of
dollars by switching to a more effective vehicle platform with
reduced maintenance costs.
The Red Cross has a long history of providing help and comfort
from mobile vehicles. In 1898, Clara
Barton used a wagon as an ambulance for her work on the
battlefield. During World War II, the Red Cross used clubmobiles to
support U.S. servicemen. The Red Cross began to
standardize the organization's disaster response vehicles
around an ambulance design in 1984. Prior to the 1984 initiative,
the Red Cross used converted bread trucks, station wagons and
pickup trucks to deliver meals and snacks after disasters. The new
fleet represents the next generation of these historic response
vehicles and will bring help and hope to those in need.
Kraft Foods Group Foundation became a member of the American Red
Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) in 2012. ADGP partners
provide the Red Cross with financial resources in advance of major
disasters so the organization can quickly mobilize. Kraft is also a
member of the American Red Cross Ready When The Time Comes, a
workplace volunteer initiative established in Chicago in 2001 that trains employees from
partnering corporations and mobilizes them as a community-based
volunteer force when disaster strikes.
"The generous donations from Annual Disaster Giving Program
members help the Red Cross assist disaster survivors and support
volunteers who work tirelessly at the disaster scene," said
Neal Litvak, American Red Cross
chief development officer. "All money donated by the program
members and by the general public is essential to our ability to
fulfill the mission of the Red Cross."
SUPPORT HELPS RED CROSS BE PREPARED The generous
donations from Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) members enable
the American Red Cross to prepare communities for disasters big and
small, respond whenever and wherever disasters occur and help
families during the recovery process. People can join the Annual
Disaster Giving Program members in supporting Red Cross Disaster
Relief and help provide food, shelter, emotional support and other
assistance to the victims of thousands of disasters across the
country each year. Visit redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS
(1-800-733-2767) to make a donation.
The ADGP members are: Wells Fargo; Wawa; Walmart;
VSP℠Vision care for life; UPS; United Technologies Corporation;
United Airlines; The TJX Companies, Inc.; The Home Depot; Target;
Sunoco; State Farm; Sprint; Southwest Airlines; San Manuel Band of
Mission Indians; Samsung; Prudential Foundation; PepsiCo
Foundation; Nationwide Insurance Foundation; National Grid;
Mondelez International Foundation; Merck & Co., Inc.; Meijer;
Medtronic; Mazda North American Operations; Lowe's Companies, Inc.;
LDS Charities; Kraft Foods Group Foundation; Kimberly-Clark
Corporation; Johnson Controls; John Deere Foundation; Humble
Bundle; Grainger; Ford Motor Company; FedEx Corporation; Edison
International; Dr Pepper Snapple Group; Disney; Discover; Darden
Restaurants Foundation; Costco Wholesale; ConAgra Foods
Foundation; Citi Foundation; Cisco Foundation; Caterpillar
Foundation; Capital One; BNY Mellon; Bank of America; Aon; Anthem
Foundation; Anheuser Busch Foundation; American Express; American
Airlines; Altria Group; 3M.
100 YEARS SERVING CHICAGO The American Red Cross is
celebrating 100 years of serving Chicago in 2015. For the past century,
the Red Cross has been there for people in the Chicago area during the moments when they
needed us. Since our chapter was chartered in 1915, we have helped
millions of people affected by local disasters including home
fires, floods, tornadoes and seasonal emergencies. From health and
safety classes, to lifesaving blood collection and support of
military members, their families and veterans, the Red Cross has
helped make our community safer and more prepared for what may come
in the next 100 years. Join us during the 2015 Red Cross
Centennial: Volunteer, Donate, Celebrate.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red
Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of
disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches
skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid;
and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is
a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the
generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more
information, please visit redcross.org or
visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
About the Kraft Foods Group Foundation
At the Kraft
Foods Group Foundation, we believe everyone deserves good food and
beverages. As food and nutrition are at the center of our
expertise, we focus our efforts on seeding innovative and
sustainable solutions to hunger and providing humanitarian aid when
disaster strikes. We work with nonprofit partners across
North America to help ensure
healthy and vibrant communities.
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SOURCE Kraft Foods Group
