By Catie Ballenger, American Red Cross Public Affairs
For more than a month, wildfires have scorched large areas in Colorado and Wyoming. The Cameron Peak fire in northern Colorado and the Mullen Fire in southwest Wyoming have prompted numerous road and national forest closures and evacuations. In response to an overwhelming need, more than 115 American Red Cross disaster responders are working around the clock to provide food, shelter, relief supplies and comfort to the hundreds of people affected by these fires.
It’s important to remember that responding to disasters is a team effort and no single organization can do it alone — and this is particularly true in this current coronavirus environment. One such organization, Children’s Disaster Services (CDS), partners with the Red Cross, responding to traumatized children by providing a calm, safe and reassuring presence amid the chaos created by disaster.
Patty Henry, a CDS volunteer of 19 years, contacted the Red Cross of Colorado. She said, “We can help. We have individual kits of comfort for children who have been displaced by a disaster and are staying in shelters.” Patty explained that the kits provide a calm, safe opportunity for children to play, allowing their guardians to attend to all of the necessary business that is required after a disaster. The stressful recovery process goes more smoothly without the distraction of a scared, stress or bored little one.
Each kit contains various items that will allow for expressive play, including a small stuffed animal, finger puppets, paints, markers, gel pen, Play-Doh, cars, bean bags, notebook, rulers, jump rope, beach ball, small paper plates and Washi tape. CDS also provides an activity guide and child trauma information for parents.
Before COVID-19, CDS would respond in-person to a Red Cross shelter. Now the organization makes individual kits of comfort that can be distributed to children in a safe way that follows COVID-19 protocols. Patty said, “We would very much love to respond to the children in person and hope to be able to return to that very soon. These individual kits of comfort are a way to support the children’s needs until that can happen again. “
Last Friday, Patty and her team generously delivered 100 comfort kits to the Red Cross. The kits have been distributed among the ten shelters provided refuge to those who have been displaced by the fires.
Melissa Venable, Executive Director of the northern Colorado Red Cross chapter, said, “these kits are so valuable to the children that have been affected by the disaster because they help to break up the monotony of days spent in a hotel room. The kits allow kids to forget about the stressful circumstances surrounding them and to just be kids for a little while. We are so grateful that CDS has made this gift available.”
The Red Cross has provided some 957 people with safe shelter from the wildfires in emergency lodgings, including shelters and hotels and has served 11,148 meals. Volunteers have provided 1,240 individual care contacts to help people with medical or disability needs, as well as providing emotional and spiritual support during these challenging times.
Red Cross partners, like CDS are a vital link between the Red Cross and the communities we serve. Melissa explained, “partnerships with other organizations are critically important because they allow us to effectively fill service gaps and better provide for the needs of our clients.”
Together, we can make a profound impact on countless lives, providing aid and support when people need it most. Click here to learn more about Children’s Disaster Services.
Hi. My wife and I lead a BE the Change Club at Aurora Central High School. Is there anything we can help with or ways a few of our students can volunteer? We are in Aurora, Colorado.