Red Cross responds to fire in Wellsville

Home destroyed
WELLSVILLE — American Red Cross Heart of Missouri Chapter volunteers are assisting a Wellsville resident whose home burned Tuesday.
Montgomery County 911 notified the Red Cross of the fire about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. Two Montgomery County volunteers responded to the scene on North Fifth Street.
Volunteers met with a client and provided financial resources for the individual to meet immediate emergency needs with the purchase of food, clothing and a temporary motel stay.
The client also received a Red Cross comfort kit, which contains personal hygiene items.
Volunteers will monitor the client’s recovery process.

Casual clothing choice benefits Red Cross

ServPro’s Kristen Dreher presents a $100 bill to Executive Director Dave Griffith
ServPro employees can wear jeans on Friday for donation
Wearing jeans on Friday cost ServPro employees $2, which is donated to a local charity, but the donation doesn’t always guarantee the casual clothing choice will be worn through the day.
“Sometimes it’s hard for some of our employees because if they go out in the field, they can’t wear jeans. So, they have to change,” said Kristen Dreher, ServPro’s marketing manager. “We’ve had them be in the office, come in with jeans and 20 minutes later their changing uniforms and they are out in the field.
“Their donation is still good though.”
Second quarter donations totaling $100, which Dreher said is average for the period, went to the American Red Cross Heart of Missouri Chapter.
“We appreciate ServPro choosing the Red Cross as their charity of choice for this quarter,” said chapter Executive Director Dave Griffith. “Programs like these give employees a little perk for themselves while doing something good for others.”
Dreher presented Griffith with a $100 bill from ServPro.
Donations go to different agencies each quarter.

Persuasion puts client in touch with Red Cross

Chapter client Kelly Allen, right, talks with volunteers Dawn Hart and Don Barnett.
Persistent persuasion from friends and family finally got Kelly Allen, displaced after a fire at her Holts Summit apartment building, to meet with American Red Cross Heart of Missouri Chapter volunteers.
“Everybody has been telling me to come up here and my sister made me call,” said Allen, who lived in the Evergreen Apartment building that burned on Oct. 3. “She made me call Tuesday.”
Allen is glad she made the call. After talking Wednesday morning with volunteers Dawn Hart and Don Barnett at chapter headquarters in Jefferson City, Allen received much-needed financial assistance.
“I appreciate it because I spent what money I did have renting a room at a hotel,” Allen said. “Now, I have money for food and clothing.
“The assistance is very important. I don’t have to go hungry and at least I’ll have clothes to wear.”
Allen was in Fulton when the fire started early on that Friday afternoon, but it didn’t take long for her to hear about the incident.
“I got bombarded with calls and texts,” she said. “Josh (a friend) texted me and it was like “I think your apartment building is on fire.’ I texted my neighbor who lived in apartment 4 and she’s like ‘Yeah, the apartments are on fire.’”
Allen didn’t get back to Holts Summit until about 3 p.m., but couldn’t get to the building, located just off Route AA, because of the vehicles parked in the drive.
She first went to her sister’s house, which is in Holts Summit. Allen, who lost her cat in the fire, later returned to the apartment complex. She was told to go to city hall to meet with building management and the Red Cross.
Allen went to the city building where the Red Cross established an incident command center. She met with an apartment representative, who gave her $300 from the complex.
She said she left after meeting with the apartment official because she didn’t realize what else was being offered.
“I didn’t know what was going on,” said Allen, who still gets emotional talking about the fire.
Since the fire, she has kept her mind occupied with other thoughts.
“I’ve been trying to stay busy, so I keep my nose in my phone,” she said. “I try to stay distracted.”
Red Cross volunteers have assisted 37 adults and 19 children impacted by the fire at the 29-unit building. Volunteers will continue to monitor the clients’ recovery process.

Red Cross responds to fire in Wellsville

Resident’s home destroyed
WELLSVILLE, Oct. 8, 2014 — American Red Cross Heart of Missouri Chapter volunteers are assisting a Wellsville resident whose home burned Tuesday.
Montgomery County 911 notified the Red Cross of the fire about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. Two Montgomery County volunteers responded to the scene on North Fifth Street.
Volunteers met with a client and provided financial resources for the individual to meet immediate emergency needs with the purchase of food, clothing and a temporary motel stay.
The client also received a Red Cross comfort kit, which contains personal hygiene items.
Volunteers will monitor the client’s recovery process.

Chapter responses ‘standard’ for September

Clients in nine counties receive chapter assistance
Clients in nine counties received American Red Cross Heart of Missouri Chapter assistance during September.
“That is standard for this time of year,” Disaster Specialist Phillip Iman said. “Unfortunately, it’s going to get worse. We’re heading into the colder season and that usually means we’ll be responding to more fires.
“We encourage people to have their home heating systems checked along with any alternate heating appliances they intend to use once temperatures start getting colder.”
Volunteers responded to one flood event and nine single-family fires during September. The chapter opened 11 new cases, followed up on three existing cases and assisted 35 new clients.
Boone County had the most September responses with the one flood event and three single-family fires. Volunteers assisted five new family units with 16 individual clients. They also followed up on one case with rental assistance.
September responses by county:
Boone County: one flood event; three single-family fires; assisted five new family units; 16 individual clients; followed up on one case with rental assistance
Callaway County: followed up on one case with first-month rental assistance
Camden County: followed up on one case with first-month rental assistance
Cole County: one single-family fire; assisted one family unit and four clients
Dent County: one single-family fire; assisted one family unit and five clients
Howard County: one single-family fire; assisted one family unit and three clients
Maries County: one single-family fire; assisted one family unit and two clients
Moniteau County: one single-family fire; assisted one family unit and three clients
Phelps County: one single-family fire; assisted one family unite and two clients; followed up on one case with first-month rental assistance

Red Cross volunteers will follow up with clients from Evergreen Apartment fire

34 adults, 19 children receive Red Cross assistance
JEFFERSON CITY, Oct. 5, 2014 — American Red Cross Heart of Missouri Chapter volunteers have served 34 adults and 19 children affected by the fire Friday at Evergreen Apartment Complex in Holts Summit.
A group of Red Cross volunteers spent part of Saturday calling clients that had not been contacted Friday night.
Red Cross volunteers will continue to monitor the recovery process for the clients impacted by the fire.
Volunteers from across the chapter responded Friday to the fire at the apartment complex in Holts Summit, just off Route AA. They initially met informally with clients at the scene and later opened an incident command center in a Holts Summit Police Department facility on South Summit Drive.
Clients with questions about Red Cross services can contact the chapter headquarters at 573-635-1132.

Red Cross assists clients from apartment fire

Volunteers process 21 cases
HOLTS SUMMIT – Oct. 4, 2014, American Red Cross Heart of Missouri Chapter volunteers worked through the evening Friday to assist 33 adults and 19 children affected by the fire at the Evergreen Apartments.
Red Cross caseworkers processed 21 cases at the incident command center, which was set up at a Holts Summit Police Department building on South Summit Drive.
The Red Cross met the immediate emergency needs of the clients by providing financial assistance for the purchase of food and clothing.
The complex landlord provided funds for clients to make their own temporary housing arrangements.
Red Cross volunteers also provided canteen service, which included food and drinks, for firefighters on scene and for clients at the command center.
Union Hill Baptist Church will be open from 2-4 p.m. Sunday to provide clients from the fire with food and clothing items.
Clients from the fire can call the Red Cross at 573-635-1132.

Red Cross sets up incident command center to assist clients affected by Holts Summit apartment fire

Evergreen Apartment building destroyed
HOLTS SUMMIT, Oct.3, 2014 — American Red Cross Heart of Missouri Chapter volunteers established an incident command center Friday afternoon to assist clients impacted by a fire at a unit of the Evergreen Apartments.
The Red Cross set up the center in the back of the Holts Summit Police Department, which is located at 245 S. Summit Dr.
Volunteers will be available through the evening Friday to meet with clients affected by the fire and to asses and meet their immediate emergency needs.
Apartment complex residents impacted by the fire, which destroyed the building, can call 635-1132 for information.
Red Cross volunteers responded to the scene Friday afternoon and began informal meetings with several clients. Volunteers also met with fire and law enforcement officials at the scene.
The Red Cross’s emergency response vehicle (ERV) dispatched to the scene to distribute water, coffee and blankets.

Three named Red Cross Board Fellows

High school juniors, from top, Luke Dyer, Olivia Wolken and Jenna Massie, will serve on chapter board of directors for two years
JEFFERSON CITY — Local high school juniors Lucas Dyer, Jenna Massie and Olivia Wolken were named American Red Cross Heart of Missouri Chapter Board Fellows.
Dyer, Blair Oaks High School, Massie, Jefferson City High School, and Wolken, Helias Catholic High School, will serve two-year terms.
Dyer is second vice president of the National Honor Society, parliamentarian of FBLA, junior class treasurer and historian of FCCLA.
Massie is a member of the National Honor Society and is in the top six percent of her class.
Wolken is involved in Campus Ministry, Z Club, Crusaders for Life, Pro Life Club and Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD). She plays soccer for the Lady Crusaders and has more than 400 Christian Service Hours.

Red Cross assisting Laquey family

Mobile home destroyed by fire
LAQUEY — American Red Cross Heart of Missouri Chapter volunteers are assisting a Laquey family whose mobile home burned Sept. 25.
The client, who lived on Sacramento Lane, did not know of Red Cross services until someone suggested a call be made to the agency.
A local Red Cross volunteer met with the client Wednesday evening.
The Red Cross provided financial resources for the family to meet emergency needs with the purchase of food and clothing. The family, which included two young children, also received referrals to local partner agencies.
Volunteers will continue to monitor the family’s recovery.