"The Red Cross gave us blankets, socks and something to eat … all the things we needed.”

Heather Curley, her two daughters and her boyfriend were sound asleep when they awoke to their dog barking and whining loudly at the door of her third floor Bronx apartment. When she went to quiet the dog, Heather saw flames on the other side of the door and smoke starting to pour into the apartment. The next thing she knew, she and her family were climbing down the fire escape to the first floor and out to safety. (Their dog also made it out okay.)

With the Fire Department and the Red Cross already on the scene, Heather looked up at her apartment and was shocked. “Everything was burnt,” she said. “It was crazy; everyone was outside in their pajamas, and they were cold. The Red Cross gave us blankets, socks and something to eat. They provided shelter for us to stay warm ... and all the things we needed.”

After coming to the Red Cross headquarters in Manhattan, Heather and her family were fed and met one-on-one with a caseworker to determine their next steps. Red Cross provided them with emergency housing and given financial assistance to help get them back on their feet. Heather said, “I’ve never experienced anything like this before; it was a dreadful experience, but the Red Cross really helped out.”

Heather Curley from Bronx, NY

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