Red Cross held safety presentation - 'The Pillowcase Project'

EAGLE POINT, Ore. — The American Red Cross held a house fire and wildfire safety presentation at the Eagle Point Library on Tuesday called “The Pillowcase Project”.

The Pillowcase Project is a preparedness education program for 3rd through 5th graders. The program teaches students about safety skills, local hazards, and basic coping skills. Kids were presented with their own pillowcases to decorate with calming and happy images.

Trevor Pereira, Disaster Program Manager for the Red Cross, says the project was inspired by the college kids evacuating Hurricane Katrina.

College students were taking pillowcases and throwing whatever they needed into their pillowcases and evacuating from the area. And that’s how this program came about.

Students were led through a learn-practice-share framework and got to take their pillowcases home to build their own emergency kits.

Pereira says different parts of the country have different hazards, but house fires affect the entire country so being prepared for them, especially at a young age, is vital.