It was a night Florida resident June Sobol won’t soon forget.  Last April, dozens of units in her Sarasota apartment complex were suddenly flooded by a sprinkler system after a fire. 

While sitting in her dining area, June was startled to see water come gushing through her front door.  She knew the situation was serious. In total, more than 30 senior adults were forced to evacuate and needed assistance – and the Red Cross was there.

"The idea of being booted from your home, and not knowing if you have any place to sleep the next night, is terrifying," said June, who added, “At least we have somebody helping us – somebody has our back here – and that’s the important thing.”

As they do more than a thousand times a year in Central Florida, Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers arrived on the scene quickly and provided emotional support, relief items and financial assistance for temporary lodging.

Volunteers like Carolyn Manson make sure no one faces a disaster like this alone. “We are happy to be there to give them a little bit of comfort,” she explained.

June added that volunteers followed up with her afterwards, as well, to make sure everything was OK.

Because of generous donors, we can ease the suffering that comes from these disasters. To donate now to help people affected by disasters big and small, please visit redcross.org/helpnow.