Fire Hurts ... Red Cross Helps

Thank you for considering the Fire Hurts - Red Cross Helps campaign, to raise awareness – and money – to support Red Cross services to families who have lost their homes to fire.

Imagine losing everything you own in an instant.  No clothes or food, all of your furniture and scrap books are gone.  Where will you sleep?  What do you do now?

Timely, targeted Red Cross aid can be all that stands between our community’s most vulnerable families and hunger, homelessness, or health crisis after a disaster.  There is no other organization that delivers the same services, at the exact time and place they are needed most.

24 hours a day; 7 days a week volunteers are on call to help those left homeless due to a house fire in our community. In that moment, when people are at one of the lowest points in their lives, the Red Cross is there to provide emergency food, clothing and shelter. 

496 red dots on the map represent a home fire our volunteers have responded to during 2010.  And in some cases, the red dot represents more than one family.

Fire does not discriminate; it does not care how much money you make, how old you are, what ethnicity you are or how many people are in your family.  Some families need financial assistance while others need information to help in planning their recovery.

This means every 17 hours, a family across our 10-parish region will lose their home and belongings to a fire (according to 2010 statistics).  We may go around the world and across the country to help…but sometimes we only need to cross the street.

Trained volunteers respond to the scene of a house fire providing comfort and support; resources to ensure food, clothing, and a clean and safe place to stay.

During the first 45 days of 2011 – volunteers have helped 319 people in more than 122 responses. More than $38,000 has already been provided in assistance. The need is real. The time is now. Help can’t wait.

We cannot do this alone. It takes a network of supporters and community partners to help these displaced families.

In addition to our partners, volunteers cannot assist fire victims without the cash to support direct financial assistance.

Please help us help our neighbors by contributing to the Fire Hurts - Red Cross Helps campaign.