Monday, January 21, 2008

Hot fire puts people out in the cold

A few weeks ago I wrote about my run-in with burnt rice, and how glad I was that nothing worse had happened. Well, some people this weekend weren't as lucky as I had been. A fire in Lawrence, MA last night put 150 people out in the bitter cold in just their pajamas. This morning, they have no home to go back to. Miraculously, no one was hurt.

Imagine what that would feel like, especially if you're a slacker like I am and don't have renter's insurance, or, even worse, couldn't afford it.

The Red Cross is collecting donations for those affected by the fire. Do you have one to many pots and pans, or a bag of clothes that you no longer wear? Call the Red Cross Merrimack Valley chapter at 978-372-6871 to arrange a drop off. Or, you can make a monetary donation online through the Red Cross website (select donate to a local chapter, and choose Merrimack Valley).

And be thankful that you have a roof over your head and a warm bed at night.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

As I was watching this morning I wondered how much money the Red Cross actually gives to victims. Especially, given the fact that they are laying off tons of employees. To put it another way, how much of my $100 donation goes directly to the needy?

Unknown said...

You can check out charity auditors such as GuideStar (http://www.guidestar.org/).

Instead of giving money, you could donate goods. If you don't have stuff that you don't want, go on a mini shopping spree. There are always sales!

Terrence Fitzsimmons said...

I drove by the scene of this fire on Monday night. It is amazing that no one was injured.