Florida home fire victims Jeff Gilmore and Kathy Hendry know first-hand how families and communities can count on the Red Cross to respond day or night, wherever needed.

On a summer night in 2020, the couple had gone for a ride around their neighborhood to visit with neighbors when the unthinkable happened. When they came back, they found their home engulfed in flames.

Gilmore said, “As you can kind of figure out, we didn’t know what to do.”

Hardee County Fire Rescue connected the couple with the Red Cross for help. Within hours, disaster volunteers responded -- by phone and in person -- to provide immediate financial assistance and emotional support for “what comes next.”

“They (Red Cross) came out about 10:30 pm, 11pm that night – they didn’t have too, but they did,” said Gilmore. “They blessed us with enough resources for a place to stay that night and the following week until we could figure out what to do and how to do it.”

Red Cross volunteers stand by thousands of families every year to help people recover after local disasters like home fires. And that help doesn’t stop the day of the incident.

“They (Red Cross) would call us every few days and even weeks afterwards just to check on us, to see if we were OK,” said Hendry.

The couple is now getting the roof put back on their home and are taking things one day at a time. They are staying positive and using their experience as inspiration to help others in need.

Gilmore said, “I want to become an American Red Cross volunteer because they’re about helping folks that are in need, and I’m about that too.”

During March is Red Cross Month, we’re honoring the humanitarian spirit that inspires compassionate people to step up to help when help can’t wait. Visit redcross.org/RedCrossMonth to learn more.

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