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Stamford, Conn. – June 27, 2012 – AmeriCares is sending relief supplies for families in Colorado Springs fleeing the raging Waldo Canyon Fire that engulfed 15,000 acres and doubled in size overnight. The disaster relief organization is delivering enough soap, shampoo, toothbrushes and other personal care items for up to 250 evacuees seeking shelter at Colorado College. As of this afternoon, 62 people were housed in a temporary shelter on campus, and the college is anticipating more residents will need a safe place to stay as the evacuations continue, said AmeriCares Director of Emergency Response Garrett Ingoglia.
“The fire is only 5 percent contained at this point, and the shelters are bracing for an influx of evacuees,” Ingoglia said. “It could be days before it is safe for families to return home, so we are making sure they have all the basic necessities while they are displaced.”
AmeriCares is also offering medical aid and relief supplies to local health clinics and aid organizations assisting evacuees. This is AmeriCares second aid delivery for Colorado families affected by wildfires in recent days. Last week, AmeriCares delivered 3,000 respirators and protective masks, along with a truckload of bottled water, for firefighters and homeowners affected by the High Park Fire near Fort Collins – one of the largest wildfires in the state’s history.
AmeriCares has provided medical relief and humanitarian assistance to millions affected by natural and man-made disasters for 30 years, including earthquakes in Haiti, Chile, Pakistan and Japan, the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia and Hurricane Katrina in the United States. In 2011, in response to one of the worst U.S. tornado seasons in decades, AmeriCares delivered nearly $3 million in aid for survivors, including $600,000 in disaster recovery grants to help more than 62,000 people recover and prepare for future emergencies.
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