In only her nightgown, a little girl is abruptly grabbed from the bed where she is peacefully sleeping and carried out of the room. As she starts to choke on the smoke filling the hallway, she begins to scream and is hurried into the dark, rainy night with bright flashing lights, loud, strange noises and scary shapes.

Is this a nightmare? No. All too sadly—it is real. It is a disaster.

As the little girl becomes fully awake in the arms of a neighbor into whose arms she has been thrust, fear strikes: Where is her mother? Her baby brother? Her father? She begins to sob.

If you knew this was happening just a few miles, a few blocks from you, would you want to help comfort this child? To help her and her family as they begin to come to grips with the fact that they have lost all of their personal and family possessions in the flames?

Most of us would want to do something to help them. But what could we do?

That’s where the American Red Cross comes in. Our volunteers and staff are pledged to "be there" for this little girl, for her mother, for her baby brother and her father. The Red Cross will be there—as it has been for more than 100 years—when people need help dealing with disaster, loss and personal devastation.

In the Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle, the family gets immediate shelter from the dark, pelting rain. The Red Cross team moves quietly and confidently into action: to find the family temporary housing for the night, provide some new clothing so the little girl can go to nursery school, her brother to daycare and her father and mother can go to work.

In the days ahead, the Red Cross will also be there to support them and provide resources: an apartment to live in, food to feed themselves, additional clothing to see them through, beds, bedding, household utensils and replacing glasses and prescription medications destroyed in the fire.

How is it possible for the Red Cross to respond in such a comprehensive way to disasters like this one?

The answer is: YOU!  You and caring people like you make it possible--through your support of the American Red Cross Family Relief Fund at the Mower County Chapter.

In the past two years, the number of people helped has risen 27%. The current rate of growth in disaster response is growing even faster due to the economic downturn. In addition, national and international events adversely impact many people right here in our community.

This means longer transition periods for disaster victims, longer stays in temporary housing, more meals and a greater need for financial assistance, such as security deposits and rent to move into more permanent housing.

Thanks to you and your support of the American Red Cross Family Relief Fund, the Red Cross Serving Mower County Chapter is ready to respond to individuals and families in need 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  To learn more about the people you can help, please contact us.  To learn about how you can support the Family Relief Fund, check out our giving opportunities page.