By Kim Mailes, American Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming Public Affairs
“When the fire broke out,” said Tami Brost of Laramie, Wyoming, “my first thought was, What is with this? I just can’t handle anymore.”
Fire had tormented Tami for a long time. While she was still living at home with her parents as a teenager, the family home burned to the ground. Four years ago, her brother Eddie died in a house fire. And then, just last February during a stressful time in her professional life, fire struck again.
But today, just a few months later, the American Red Cross Disaster Action Team and a recovery counselor Tami calls “an angel, simply an angel,” have made it possible to rebuild her life and fulfill the dream to start her own business.
Last February while in the process of relocating from Wheatland to Laramie for a new job, Tami was living in a motel temporarily when an electrical short in the adjoining room sparked a fire. Smelling smoke, she fled and watched the fire department hack their way through walls to extinguish the blaze. She stood in the parking lot with a heavy heart: her belongings were ruined and she was low on funds.
“With my background,” she said, “this fire was quite traumatizing—I was just completely stressed out, you know. I just couldn’t handle anymore.”
Then the Red Cross of Wyoming Disaster Action Team called.
“The Red Cross made sure I had enough money to rent a motel room for a couple of weeks until I could secure an apartment. And two days later, I was connected with a wonderful Red Cross counselor for as long as I needed her. She was just amazing and was just so supportive, so kind and loving. She kept in contact with me for several weeks until I could get emotionally and financially back on my feet.”
“The support of the recovery counselor was amazing,” Tami said. “You need safety and shelter immediately, of course, but after a couple of days you just need somebody to talk to, a friend to be there for you while you process what you’ve been through, somebody who is compassionate.”
The Red Cross recovery volunteer contacted Tami every day for a week, and then once or twice a week for the next two months, continually reassuring her that the Red Cross cared and would see her through the crisis.
In addition to providing immediate financial help, the Red Cross partners with other organizations who can offer continuing assistance. The recovery counselor connected Tami with a state agency that provided eighteen months of rent assistance.
“Because of the emotional support I got right then from the Red Cross, and with the rental assistance they connected me with, I’ve been able to take a leap of faith and start my own business, something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Tami said.
“It’s all possible because the Red Cross provided what I needed at such a difficult time in my life.”
Tami feels deep gratitude for the American Red Cross and plans to become a Disaster Action Team volunteer to help those affected by home fires.
“If I can be there for others like my recovery counselor was for me, I’d be thrilled. I’ve been through fire too many times. I think until you go through it, people don’t understand it’s not the things a fire takes from you. A lot of it is a deep sense of loss, it’s a grieving. The Red Cross understands that.”
Would you like to help others in their time of need? The American Red Cross needs more volunteers to respond to local disasters. To find out more, visit http://redcross.org/