Unilever Foundation donates to American Red Cross

For immediate release: July 11, 2011

American Red Cross Receives $10,000 from Unilever Foundation

Cape Girardeau, MO -- The American Red Cross Southeast Missouri Chapter received a $10,000 donation from the Unilever Foundation. With this donation, the Unilever Foundation was recognized as a Hero for the American Red Cross, helping to ensure the Red Cross has the financial resources to help families and meet its commitments to the community.

"Because of the generosity and support of Unilever and other donors, those in Southeast Missouri can get the short term relief they need in the aftermath of a disaster, such as the recent flooding" said Cheryl Klueppel, Executive Director of the American Red Cross Southeast Missouri Chapter.

The Unilever Foundation is a branch of the company that focuses on outreach in the community," Michael P. Ryan, human resources manager for Unilever's Good Humor-Breyers plant in Sikeston explains. "In this area, the Sikeston Community Relations Committee works to ensure the funding goes where it is most needed and they meet on a regular basis," Ryan said. "The committee is made up of a couple of supervisors and a dozen employees of the Sikeston plant who recruit other people as needed to volunteer."In addition to channeling the corporate funds, Sikeston Community Relations Committee members have also collected donations of clothing, food and personal care items from other employees and donated the proceeds to local shelters and affected employees in Southeast Missouri.

The spring storms raged across Missouri destroying homes and leaving hundreds without shelter. As always the Red Cross is providing families with a safe place to sleep, hot food and emotional comfort. Since the storms began the Red Cross has provided almost 600 overnight stays in shelters and served over 18,000 meals and snacks. In addition they have provided almost 1,500 home clean-up and personal hygiene kits and given out over 14,000 bulk items including water, shovels, rakes and gloves. The Red Cross teams have also made over 100 home and hospital visits providing for basic needs.

Around the corner there is a place where people help others in need. That place is Southeast Missouri and those people are generous residents, businesses and the trained and compassionate volunteers of the American Red Cross. The Red Cross works every day to be prepared to respond to emergency needs whenever and wherever we are needed most.

To make a donation, become a HERO for the American Red Cross or to volunteer, contact the Southeast Missouri Chapter at 2430 Myra Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO 63703, 573-335-9471, info@semoredcross.org or please visit our website www.semoredcross.org.

About the American Red Cross: The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation's blood supply; teaches lifesaving skills; and supports military members and their families. The American Red Cross is a charity, not a government agency, and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission.

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