(WBNG) — The Red Cross says the Southern Tier has seen at least one house fire each day in the months of June and July. When families lose everything in a fire, the Red Cross steps in to provide help and support.
However, to provide that support, the Red Cross depends on individuals to volunteer their time. In the month of June, volunteers responded to 34 fires in the Southern Tier, displacing dozens of people.
“Having campfires, having grills, having fireworks over the past couple of weeks, something like that. They’re a year-round disaster,” said Jay Bonafede, a regional communications officer for the Red Cross.
With many losing all of their personal possessions in home fires, volunteers can offer a variety of resources and support.
“Provide funding for things like temporary housing, for food, clothing, and then provide emotional support,” said Bonafede. “We have disaster mental health workers available that can talk about the impact emotionally of that disaster.”
As house fires and other natural disasters continue, the Red Cross is asking for more volunteers to help, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We need people that are going to be able and willing to deploy in this COVID environment, and they can safely do so. They’ve had training, so they know how to be a ‘Red Crosser’,” said Bonafede.
Bonafede says he’s been a volunteer in natural disaster situations before. The experience, he says, is more than rewarding.
“Just knowing that somebody is there, that somebody cares, that somebody has taken the time to think about you in your darkest hour,” said Bonafede. “The volunteers get as much out of helping as the people we’re providing that service to.”
If you would like to volunteer your time with the Red Cross, head over to this link.
To donate to the Red Cross, you can donate online, calling 1-800-Red-Cross, or texting “RedCross” to 290999.
