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SAFELY OUT™ Project Launches Distribution of Emergency Evacuation Kits to Vulnerable Elderly in Orange County

1500 Home-bound senior citizens throughout Orange County will receive kits

(June 4, 2009 – Santa Ana, CA) – Citizen Voice’s SAFELY OUT™ Project will announce on Friday, June 5, 2009, during a news conference at an Orange County Senior Center the launch of it’s work in Orange County to assist the most vulnerable in our community by preparing for evacuation after a natural or man-made disaster.

 
Citizen Voice President Gary Dietrich shared, “Experts have made clear that Southern California remains one of the most earthquake vulnerable areas of the country. Additionally, each year fires typically rage in Orange County as well. When asked to bring Citizen Voice’s SAFELY OUT™ Project to Orange County, we gathered many interested parties together and are honored to partner with them in helping thousands of people protect themselves better during disaster. This SAFELY OUT™ effort is a benefit both to them and to the emergency responders tasked with mass evacuation in the event of a catastrophic disaster.”

Dietrich initiated the idea for the SAFELY OUT™ Kit after volunteering with the Red Cross to assist in the recovery effort following Hurricane Katrina and during the evacuation effort for Hurricane Rita. “I saw first hand how desperate some were and the danger facing the vulnerable who couldn’t get themselves out of harm’s way,” explained Dietrich. “One couple came up asking for help. They had just received a call from the morgue in New Orleans telling them that their father was dead. I was stunned. My heart sank. SAFELY OUT™ can help reduce those kinds of heart wrenching stories.”
 

The initial 1,500 SAFELY OUT™ Kits being distributed today are made possible through grants from CA Emergency Management Agency and the Orange County Community Foundation. The County of Orange Office on Aging is the recipient of the SAFELY OUT™ Kits and will be distributing them to home-bound seniors through the elder nutrition programs (Meals-on-Wheels) throughout the County.   
The goal of Citizen Voice’s SAFELY OUT™ Project is to help protect vulnerable citizens in Orange County – the frail elderly, the disabled and families with young children – through this groundbreaking neighbor-helping-neighbor approach to evacuation in any natural or manmade disaster.  

The elements of the SAFELY OUT™ Kit include:
·  SAFELY OUT™ Door Hanger that can be used to signal for assistance using the red “NEED HELP” side, and let others know when the vulnerable are “SAFELY OUT™” using the green side
·  SAFELY OUT™ Refrigerator Magnet Booklet for recording the essential contact and evacuation information tailored to the needs of each individual or family
·  SAFELY OUT™ Helper Information Sheets giving those volunteering to assist a vulnerable person the information they need to help
·  SAFELY OUT™ Storage Bag for keeping spare medicines, medical insurance information, etc. safe inside the refrigerator – a place that is air tight, water tight, and fire resistant
·  SAFELY OUT™ Wallet Information Card carried by the vulnerable in the event of disaster while away from home
·  SAFELY OUT™ Kit How-To Brochure that is brief and easy-to-understand
·  A permanent marker and erasable ink pen to complete the Kit contents
·  An adhesive strip to hang the “NEED HELP” sign in a window should the front door not be easily visible from the street.
 
SAFELY OUT™ Kits may be ordered through www.Citizenvoice.org. A suggested $10 contribution per Kit is requested. Some Kits are sponsored by local churches, nonprofits, businesses and others and distributed for free, especially to those with limited means…as in today’s distribution.
 
ABOUT CITIZEN VOICE
Citizen Voice is a 501C3 nonprofit, nonpartisan movement with a mission to inspire, inform and involve citizens in the public arena on behalf of all, especially the vulnerable. Citizen Voice fulfills its mission by fostering active participation in the public arena as well as involving citizens in both practical immediate intervention and work towards long-term changes that protect the vulnerable. For more information on Citizen Voice, visit www.CitizenVoice.org.

News Conference Facts
·  Friday, June 5, 2009
·  10:15 AM to 11AM
·  Florence Sylvester Senior Center
·  23721 Moulton Parkway, Laguna Hills
Driving South on the I-5:  Exit at Lake Forest turning right (south);  Turn left at Irvine Center Drive/Moulton Parkway; right on Santa Maria—the Senior Center is on your right. News conference will be held inside at the front entrance.

• Driving North on the I-5:  Exit at Lake Forest and go south; continue on Lake Forest Drive turning left at Irvine Center Dr/Moulton Parkway; right on Santa Maria – the Senior Center is on your right. News conference will be held inside at the front entrance.
   

Photo and Interview Opportunities

• 1,500 SAFELY OUT™ Kits ready for distribution by the County of Orange Office on Aging
• Florence Sylvester Senior Center members (senior citizens)

Guest speakers to include:
Gary Dietrich, President of Citizen Voice
Supervisor Patricia Bates, Chair – Orange County Board of Supervisors
Jay Alan, Director of Communications, California Emergency Management Agency
Todd Hanson, Vice President of Donor Relations and Programs
Paul Jacks, Safely Out Advisory Committee

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Lynne Fishel
Citizen Voice Southern California Field Representative
1215 K Street, 17th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 503-3194 Office
(949)244-9825 Cell
lfishel@CitizenVoice.org

Download the pdf version here.

© 2009 Citizen Voice, Inc. All rights reserved.