Red Cross Was There

From Thursday, June 17, 1999 page B6: Correction Patty L. Reasoner, the author of a Your Turn column published on June 9, is 37. The column listed her age incorrectly.

When I was 8 or 9, my grandmother’s house was gutted by fire on Thanksgiving Day. The next day, our family went over to help her out. The smell is something that has always lived with me.

On March 6, it happened to me.

It was about 8 in the evening. My boyfriend and I had just come home from the grocery store and were planning to fix tacos. A neighbor woman was standing on the sidewalk and asked if this was my house. I said yes and she told us it was on fire. That’s when we saw smoke coming from the eaves.

We dropped our groceries, ran to the house and slowly opened the front door. The flames we saw were contained to the front room but the smoke was so thick and hot it made the fire seem larger. By the time the fire was out, the house was a total loss. But we were safe and our animals were safe. That was the important thing.

As the smell of the smoke brought back memories of my grandmother’s fire, the next thing that came to my mind was the destruction of all my belongings. I didn’t have renter’s insurance but my family, friends, co-workers and landlord - even complete strangers - donated money, clothing and furniture, and helped me get back on my feet. In the aftermath of it all, who came to my aid at 11:30 that night, after all the firetrucks were gone and my neighbors had gone home?

The American Red Cross. I never realized what a great organization this was until I needed it. The compassion and caring overwhelmed me and my family.

The aid started that night, with vouchers for clothing and food, and ended with new beds, more food and clothing and assistance in rent money. Almost two weeks after the fire I was back in a place I could call home.

I attempted to get help from other organizations but it was not there, nor was the compassion I got from the Red Cross. Even my boss got on the phone and went through the phone book looking for organizations to help out. But either they didn’t rent to people with animals or there was a waiting list, or they had other criteria that I didn’t meet. It was really sad.

I hope I never need the Red Cross again in any fashion, but I know what it is all about now and I know I want to repay it in whatever way I can. I don’t think the Red Cross gets enough credit for all it does. Without all the help it gave me and my family, I don’t know what I would have done. The Red Cross people really felt for me.