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The American Red Cross helps support Holts Summit residents after apartment fire

Ozarks Red Cross
/
Flickr

The Holts Summit community and the American Red Cross are assisting the residents of the Evergreen Apartment complex after a fire last Friday.

“We’ve been meeting their immediate needs with some funds to buy food and clothing since most of them lost everything in the fire,” said American Red Cross Disaster Specialist Kath Mayne.

The Red Cross has also given debit cards to the families and residents of the Evergreen Apartments. Mayne recommends that they use the card for things such as food and clothing. They are restricted from purchasing tobacco, alcohol, and weapons.

Mayne said that the Red Cross has already assisted 33 adults and 19 children. There are still a few more residents of the 26 occupied apartments that they have contacted, but they have not heard back.

Members of the Holts Summit community have volunteered to aid the residents of the apartment complex.

The Union Hill Baptist Church in the community collected clothes and food donations. The church volunteers then handed out the donations to those affected by the fire, free of charge.

“SERVE in Callaway County is, at this point, the collection point for anyone trying to donate, whether its food or pots and pans or bedding or furniture, anything anybody wants to donate is going through SERVE now,” said Mayne.

Some of the apartment residents are already working on moving into new apartments, while others are staying in hotels or with other family members. However, through it all, the Red Cross said it will guide them through the tough process back to normality.

“We are not just there for the night that the fire happens and then take off,” said Mayne, “We frequently are still working with these clients for three months or so, trying to help them get reestablished and back to normal.”