By Sarah Vammen

On a January day in 2024, Lisa Black’s day immediately took a turn for the unexpected. During her morning walk, her beloved dog Bodie pulled her down, causing Lisa to injure her back. Hoping to recover from her injuries, Lisa chose to stay home from work and rest. That’s when the fire started.

Lisa awoke to her dog barking. She knew something wasn’t right based on Bodie’s bark. “If you are a dog person, you learn your dog’s bark,” Lisa said. This was not Bodie’s normal bark. Knowing something must be wrong, Lisa walked into her living room to discover several feet of smoke billowing through her ceiling. “It was very scary to wake up to.” She quickly put on Bodie’s leash and harness to guide them both out of her apartment building. When she opened her door, she saw the surrounding apartments also consumed by fire.

Sitting outside, Lisa watched her apartment building and home go up in flames. She felt as if she were falling to pieces. As a former 911 dispatcher, Lisa remembered being the calm one amidst chaos and tragedy for countless people. Now with tables turned, she felt she could not hold it together. “When you are going through horrific events yourself, it is a different story,” Lisa said.

When the fire was finally out, the fire department allowed tenants to return to the building to salvage what they could. She wanted to recover the sentimental items such as her children’s baby things and the irreplaceable mementoes of her deceased grandparents. Unfortunately, Lisa’s home and the homes surrounding hers were gone.

Thankfully, the Red Cross was immediately on the scene to provide timely aide to those impacted by the apartment complex fire. Unaware the Red Cross assisted individuals and not just those impacted by major natural disasters, Lisa was incredibly grateful for their presence. “The Red Cross was unbelievable,” Lisa said. “The workers were very compassionate.” In addition to assistance and clothing for herself, the Red Cross also assisted with providing care for Bodie.

During disasters like the one Lisa faced, the Red Cross is on hand to quickly and efficiently provide assistance, clothing and other essentials to humans and pets alike. This life-changing assistance is made possible through generous donations and volunteers.