Do you know the Red Cross responds to three fires a day in the Greater St. Louis area? I am a volunteer for the local Disaster Action Team (DAT) and we respond to local disasters, primarily house fires, 24-hours a day, 365-days a year. Fires can be traumatic for nearly all involved, especially children. To help those affected by disasters get back on their feet, the Red Cross provides food, clothing, mental and physical health assistance and shelter in the wake of disasters. In addition, thanks to corporate donations, we also give stuffed animals to kids that need to hug on a friend after a disaster. Our current stuffed animal is a small Mickey Mouse (my personal favorite) and each kid smiles as soon as they see them.
 
Slow nights like this (I am on my 7th shift in a row without getting called to a fire!) allow a lot of time for reflection. As I was adding some Mickeys to the truck tonight, I started thinking of a fire we were called to a few months back. A North County family’s home was destroyed and to make matters worse, they were expecting a child in two weeks. That night, the soon-to-be parents were organizing the baby’s room with toys, clothes and furniture from a recent shower. The couple’s parents were reading in an upstairs bedroom. An electrical fire started in the basement and soon spread throughout the house. We arrived on the scene and set the family up with a hotel room and some money for food and clothing. As we were getting ready to leave, I gave a Mickey to the soon-to-be mommy and told her it was the Red Cross’ gift for the baby.  She smiled as her husband went to tell his mother. The grandmother started crying and couldn’t stop thanking us. I wouldn’t have ever thought a Mickey Mouse could bring someone to tears.
 
As I continue my shifts as a DAT member, I will keep you updated on what volunteers like me actually do. Stay tuned!