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Natomas Families Receive SAFELY OUT™ Kits 
First School District in the Region to Receive Disaster Evacuation Kits Sacramento/Natomas - Citizen Voice’s SAFELY OUT™ Project announced on May 27th, during a news conference at American Lakes Elementary School, a flood vulnerable elementary school, that 11,000 SAFELY OUT™ Kits were distributed to 8,000 families within the Natomas Unified School District and 3,000 employees of PRIDE Industries with disabilities. Citizen Voice President Gary Dietrich shared, “Experts have made clear that the Natomas Basin remains one of the most flood vulnerable areas of the country. When asked to bring Citizen Voice’s SAFELY OUT™ Project to Natomas, we gathered many interested parties together and are honored to partner with them in helping thousands of families 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 catastrophic flooding.” 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.” PRIDE employees with disabilities, at the PRIDE facility off of Norwood Avenue on the edge of the Natomas Basin, have assembled all 35,000 SAFELY OUT™ Kits produced to date in a unique partnership with Citizen Voice. The 11,000 SAFELY OUT™ Kits being distributed are made possible through a grant from CA Emergency Management Agency and the generous sponsorship of Pinnacle Emergency Management based in West Sacramento. 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. 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. |
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