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American Red Cross
I first learned about the American Red Cross after one of my childhood
friends lost her home to a fire. My friend's family was devastated by
this tragic occurrence that left them destitute and homeless. One of
the most horrible things that occurred was the loss of the family pets.
They had one dog and a two cats that all perished in the fire. Luckily,
no people were harmed in the flames and smoke, but they were all
traumatized by the devastating fire. The American Red Cross provided my
friend's family with shelter. The family consisted of two adults and
three children. The organization arranged for the five of them to stay
at a hotel until they were able to find housing on their own.
I cannot remember
how long they stayed in the hotel, but it was an adequate amount of
time. This was a costly undertaking that the American Red Cross covered
and her family would mention this over and over again for years to
come. One of the first things a family who has lost their home thinks
about is where they are going to sleep. This family had relatives who
lived far away. The American Red Cross allowed the family to stay in
their own town.
The family lost everything in the fire and this included clothing.
Clothes are very important to many girls and my friend was very
appreciative of the many pieces of clothing that were donated by the
American Red Cross. She did not receive the trendiest clothes, but she
also did not want to crawl under a rock when she wore the clothes.
Everything was clean, neat and appropriate for a girl approaching her
teen age years.
The American Red
Cross also provided the family with some toys for the children. This
added thought was very touching for the family and the children were
happy to get some toys to get their minds off of the incident. I never
considered play things to be necessities, but they actually are in many
cases like this. The toys helped my friend and her siblings feel
somewhat normal again.
After a few very difficult months, things started to change for the
better for my friend's family. They were able to move back into their
home, even though part of it was still under construction. The children
started visiting our home and our friend's homes and they began to tell
their story about the horrible fire. Each time they talked about the
incident, they added their appreciation for the American Red Cross.
Without this organization, the ordeal would have been unbearable.
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A Healthy Dose of Good Advice
