Young Red Cross workers distribute information in Oregon Hill homes

When Teresa Bunce opened her front door in Richmond's Oregon Hill neighborhood yesterday, she found a hanger listing fire-safety tips left by an American Red Cross youth volunteer.

Although she didn't speak with the volunteer, Bunce said she appreciated the reminder.

"I probably will install new smoke detectors," she said.

The door hangers left on homes in 15 area communities were a part of an outreach program by the Red Cross' Greater Richmond Chapter.

Penny Phounsavath, 19, of Richmond coordinated the project. She said it targets Spanish-speaking residents, because language can be a barrier to getting information about disaster preparedness.

"So we're trying to form a trust among the Latino and Hispanic community," she said.

The program, which started on June 29 and ends tomorrow, was able to reach 5,925 residents in one month, Phounsavath said. Last year, 15 to 20 youth volunteers reached out to 7,687 residents in eight weeks.

Part of the reason that the group covered such a large number in half the amount of time this year is more volunteers, she said. In addition to the 35 high school and college students who volunteered for at least part of the month, 12 students involved in a leadership program through St. Christopher's School helped for two weeks.

The volunteers have been passing out pamphlets in English and Spanish describing how to prevent house fires and practice home safety. They're also asking residents to answer survey questions about how prepared they are for an emergency, along with several other questions related to health and immigration.

Renee Robinson, 21 of Richmond, an intern with the Red Cross chapter, said that most people respond positively to the volunteers, who wear badges or clothing with the organization's logo. "Even if they don't want to take the survey, they'll at least accept the information."

Northern Virginia resident Javon Valls, 15, is visiting his sister in Goochland County this summer and decided to help. He said he learned that there are a lot more underprivileged people than he thought. Javon said some people he spoke with stopped attending school after third grade.

"Makes me feel like I need to go to college," he said. "Somebody needs to offer [them] opportunities for higher education."Today, all participants in the program will receive free CPR training and certification.