UPDATE, 6:30pm, 12/20/09

All emergency shelters will be closed by 4 o'clock pm Monday, December 21st.
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Mid-Ohio Valley American Red Cross volunteers have been deployed to help set up emergency shelters for people without power in Jackson, Roane, and Calhoun counties.

Saturday afternoon a group of volunteers from Wood County headed to Spencer in Roane County to set up a shelter there and bring food to them.

Volunteers were busy preparing food and setting up the shelters Saturday morning.

The shelters are set up at the following locations-

-The Committee on Aging, 811 Madison Avenue, Spencer, WV

-Grantsville First Baptist Church, 416 High Street, Granstville, WV'

-Volunteer Fire Department, West Main Street in Ripley.

Organizers said they are in need of money donations and volunteers to help provide these services during disasters like this winter storm.

For more information call the American Red Cross at 304-485-7311.

The American Red Cross has released this statement:

"Help people affected by disasters like the recent winter storms, by donating to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. On those rare occasions when donations exceed Red Cross expenses for a specific disaster, contributions are used to prepare for and serve victims of our disasters. Your gift enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to victims of all disasters. Call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org."