Monday's apartment building fire in Jefferson City added to the financial strain on resources of the service agency that helps victims after fires in Mid-Missouri.
The Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross got busy the week of Thanksgiving when there were five fires in the 12-county area that it serves.
"Since last Friday, we had the apartment fire and four other fires," Emergency Services Director Phillip Iman said. "We are helping 10 of the 12 families affected in that fire at Cedar Brook Apartments. All of our assistance is financial. We look at the nature of your loss and how many are affected so we redistribute donations given based on these factors.
"Some of those affected in these fires have had large families and in outlying counties we're finding multiple families living together," Iman added. "In some cases, seven to nine people are living in one household. These folks can't afford to live without doubling up. When we get cases like that our assistance amount gets greater."
"We had a fire in Belle the same night as the apartment fire in Jefferson City," Iman said. "It involved a family of seven and they got out with just their pajamas. They are not very well off."
Iman said the Red Cross exists solely on the donations from the public.
"Our volunteers are our backbone," he said. "They respond, do interviews and distribute donations that we get. This season we're hit very hard and unfortunately giving is down because everyone is affected by the economy and we are constantly in need of funding."
One of those helped by the Red Cross in the apartment fire was Jayne Rader.
"I've survived worse," she said. "But, I had renters insurance and I would encourage everyone who lives in apartments to get it."
"I was returning home around 5 p.m. and the Red Cross was already there on the scene and helping us," Rader said. "They were very helpful, the apartment owners were there to reassure us firemen had covered things with tarps to try and preserve them for us. I had an antique cedar chest that they had made sure was sitting up and out of the four inches of water that was on the floor and a jewelry box that had some family heirlooms was inside. What the firemen did was above and beyond the call of duty."
Rader said she'll be able to salvage 90 percent of her items that were in her first floor apartment.
"My fellow neighbors and I have cried on each others shoulders," she said. "We were kind of in shock, but everyone's attitude is great, and we all said it could have been whole lot worse."
To give to the Red Cross, you can call 635-1132 and information will be mailed to you. You can also stop by the chapter office at 431 W. McCarty St. or go online to capitalarearedcross.org and donate there.
"When you donate, you can specify that the donations stay locally so it helps those at home," Iman said. "We had a huge outpouring from the community after the apartment fire wanting to help, and we want to thank everyone concerned."
"It's just amazing what people will do in times like these," Rader said.