‘That’s just what the Red Cross does’
Since Gene Rossman lost his home in a Feb. 27 fire, a volunteer with the Red Cross has called him weekly to check on him.
Rossman said when he last saw his home in Rapid City, South Dakota, it was “a ball of flames.” The fire destroyed his home and his belongings, including items his late mother crocheted and her cookbooks. He said he was left with nothing but the clothes he “had on (his) back.”
“Other stuff I can replace. I can’t replace that stuff,” he said, of his mother’s possessions.
Despite losing his home in the fire, luckily, neither he, his 16-year-old son or his two dogs were home when the fire broke out.
Since the fire, Rossman said he’s thankful for the calls he’s received from a volunteer with the Red Cross.
“They’ve done a good job. I guess that’s just what the Red Cross does,” he said.
Red Cross volunteers like the one who helped Rossman and countless other volunteers respond to home and apartment fires, assisting displaced residents. Volunteers make up about 90 percent of the American Red Cross workforce, and they respond to an average of more than 60,000 disasters every year.
Rossman said he is now undertaking the difficult task of trying to build a new home, but said he’s been grateful for the “wonderful” support he’s received from the Red Cross.
Story by Blair Emerson – Red Cross volunteer
American Red Cross 