"I've always loved the American Red Cross"

Janice Moore 

Very early Saturday morning, Janice Moore was going to her back room to watch TV.

"I suddenly heard a lot of footsteps and noises", said Janice. She looked out her apartment window to see fire engines. Still unsure of what was going on, she looked up to see a blaze coming out of the upstairs apartment window.

All residents of the Layette Avenue apartment building got out safely, and there were no injuries. The Red Cross opened a shelter at St. John's Grace Episcopal Church in Buffalo, and provided support to 84 people.

Janice is familiar with the Red Cross. She's been a volunteer blood services driver for nine years, but she had never needed Red Cross assistance before this weekend.

Shelter at St John's Grace Episcopal Church

"I've always loved American Red Cross," Janice said. She said that it must be hard trying to keep people calm and help them quickly, but the Red Cross pulled it through. She was also grateful that the NFTA brought a bus to the scene to protect them from the frigid temperatures as they met with volunteers and eventually helped them get to the safe, warm shelter.

Janice and her neighbors have since found other housing, but Red Cross volunteers continue to work with them to meet any additional needs and develop and individualized, long-term recovery plan. And Janice will soon be back on the road, delivering those life-saving blood products from the drives that were donated at to the blood centers.

Our volunteers responded to over 1,400 fires in the Western and Central New York Region last year, providing shelter, food and clothing, comfort and support to our neighbors in need. You can help people affected by disasters like home fires and countless other crises by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-REDCROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

-Emma Reeve, Communications Intern