Community Corner
Blood, Donations to Red Cross Will Help Missouri, Others
Several blood drives are being held in the Oakland Township area in the next week.
As victims of the latest deadly tornado that hit Missouri Sunday night struggle to recover their belongings and find their loved ones, the American Red Cross is accepting donations of blood and funds as they work to help storm-ravaged neighborhoods across the South and Midwest.
The Red Cross opened a shelter in Joplin, MO, Sunday night, while continuing to serve areas hit by tornadoes and/or flooding in the last few weeks in Minnesota, Kentucky, Virginia, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Arkansas, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont and New York.
Mississippi River flooding alone has forced more than 1,000 people to seek refuge in shelters across the South, according to the Red Cross.
Find out what's happening in Oakland Township-Lake Orionwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The Red Cross estimates that it will spend as much as $31 million responding to the disasters, while preparing to launch another large-scale relief operation to help people along the Mississippi River. To date, about $16 million has been raised in donations.
To make a donation, visit www.redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC, 20013.
Find out what's happening in Oakland Township-Lake Orionwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
In Oakland Township and the surrounding area, the Red Cross is hosting the following blood drives:
- May 26, 1-7 p.m.: St. Anastasia Catholic Church, 4571 John R., Troy
- May 27, 1-7 p.m.: Walton Boulevard Church of God, 623 E. Walton Blvd., Pontiac
- May 28, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.: Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, 1730 W. Auburn Rd., Rochester Hills
- May 29, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.: St. Joseph Catholic Church, 715 Lapeer Rd., Orion
- May 31 & June 1, 7 a.m.-5 p.m.: St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital, 44405 Woodward Ave., Pontiac
- May 31, 1-7 p.m.: Big Beaver United Methodist Church, 3753 John R. Rd., Troy
- May 31, 2-8 p.m.: Great Lakes Athletic Club, 3800 Baldwin Rd., Orion Township
- June 1, 2-8 p.m.: Morgan Elementary School, 53800 Mound, Shelby
- June 1, 2-8 p.m.: Oak Arbor Church, 495 Oak Arbor Circle West, Oakland Township
- June 3, 2-8 p.m.: Rochester Hills Little League (Avondale Schools Administrative Building), 2940 Waukegan Rd., Auburn Hills
For a complete list of upcoming donation events, visit www.redcross.org.
