Members of Leadership Butler County, from left, Larry Sommers, CW Howard Insurance; Lyric Schnur, Hefron-Tillotson; and Amy Lavorini, Butler County Children's Center, put together emergency kits for low-income families as part of their project at the Butler County Chamber of Commerce office in Butler on Wednesday May 27, 2009. Butler Eagle File Photo

The 2009 class of Leadership Butler County wanted to help in case of an emergency.

Each class of business leaders, who learn about county resources and organizations, is asked to complete a project during nine months of training and the 2009 group decided to help older county residents prepare for emergencies and disasters by designing and passing out kits to be kept in the home.

Amy Lavorini, of Butler County Children’s Center, said she got involved with the American Red Cross after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and was sent to Florida after Hurricane Wilma hit shortly after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

“What we found is that most of the time people can’t get to public shelters and for up to the first three days after a disaster are sheltering at home,” Lavorini said.

The group received more than $10,000 — enough to make 650 kits. The kits included a bottle of water, a rain poncho, a small first aid kit, a filtering breathing mask, a metal whistle, flashlight, deck of cards, tablet of paper and pens.