Frederick County Chapter

American Red Cross

2 E. Frederick St.

Walkersville, MD 21793

301-662-5131

www.frederickredcross.org

for immediate release

February 15, 2005

LOCAL VOLUNTEER JOINS PROJECT HOPE IN SOUTH ASIAN SEA

Kathy Kissane, a volunteer RN with the Frederick County Chapter American Red Cross, joins volunteer nurses from around the country to staff the USNS Mercy through Project Hope. Currently anchored in the South Asian Sea near Banda Ache, the Project Hope nurses will assess residents of the area still needing medical attention from the recent tsunami. Residents are brought to the ship, or Ms. Kissane will work as part of a team ashore.

Ms Kissane was one of 95 volunteer medical professionals selected from thousands of applicants for this project. As a Frederick County Red Cross disaster volunteer, Ms. Kissane volunteers on a local disaster action team and on national disaster assignments. Following Hurricane Charley Ms. Kissane deployed to Punta Gordo, FL as part of the Red Cross disaster response. Ms. Kissane credits her selection by Project Hope to serve on the USNS Mercy to her Red Cross disaster training and experience.

Additionally, Ms. Kissane’s husband, Col. Jonathan Kissane, USA/RET will be joining the team as Project Hope's operations officer, providing the 90+ clinical volunteers with administrative support and coordinating with the Navy staff that operates the hospital on board the ship. The Kissane’s will travel to Singapore from where a helicopter will ferry them to the USNS Mercy. They will spend at least a month living and working on the USNS Mercy.

Ms. Kissane is an active local disaster volunteer with the Frederick County Chapter. Her experiences include membership on a disaster action team and as an Armed Forces Military Services casework. The Frederick County Chapter looks forward to her return and the information and experiences she will share with our volunteers.