For Immediate Release

CONTACT: Tony Dodero, tdodero@thinktogether.org, O – 714-543-8807 Ext. 8119, M – 949-922-8726

THINK Together and American Red Cross Partner to train parents of preschool age children in first aid, CPR and disaster preparedness

About 120 parents are expected to attend the training session at the nonprofit extended-learning provider’s Orange County Region office in Santa Ana.

April 12, 12, Santa Ana, Calif. — This Saturday April 14, about 120 parents from THINK Together’s Early Literacy Program will be trained by AmeriCorps members of the American Red Cross to be better prepared for potentially life-saving emergencies.

THINK Together, the fast-growing nonprofit provider of extended-learning programs, and the American Red Cross serving Orange County are partnering up to provide training in first aid and CPR to the parents of these young children. In addition, the parents will receive disaster preparedness kits complements of CalEMA.

Nadia Flores, director of THINK Together’s Early Literacy Program, which receives funding from the Childrens and Families Commission of Orange County, said the training helps give parents the message that they are their children’s first teacher and also provide them the skills to perhaps save their child’s life or the lives of others.

“That does make a difference in these communities,” Flores said of the Red Cross training. “We are changing people’s lives and empowering the community.”

The parents are scheduled to arrive at THINK Together’s Orange County Region offices at 1971 E. 4th Street in Santa Ana at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, April 14. There will be eight AmeriCorps members and five Red Cross volunteer instructors on hand to train the parents.

“We are happy to partner with the American Red Cross Orange Chapter to leverage our platform through collaboration and to reach communities in need,” Flores said.

About THINK Together:

THINK Together is one of the leading and largest nonprofit providers of extended-learning time programs (early literacy, after-school, small group tutoring, summer learning, etc.) in the U.S., serving 100,000 students at more than 400 locations across 30 school districts and more than 30 cities across a five-county footprint of Southern California (Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego) plus greater Sacramento. Partnering with school administrators and teachers, its academically oriented programs and dedicated team of 2,000 employees are helping students close the achievement gap. THINK is an acronym: Teaching, Helping, Inspiring & Nurturing Kids. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or visit www.THINKtogether.org or www.facebook.com/THINKtogether.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies more than 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit oc-redcross.org or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/ocredcross.

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