Luckily no one was at home at Jerry Smith’s (not his real name) home last June 18.  The father of one of his stepchildren had been visiting and had put some oily jeans in the dryer.  While the clothes were drying, the family left and the man went outside to a car.  A few minutes later, he smelled smoke and called the fire department.            

By the time Jerry arrived, the house was in flames.  Suddenly, his wife and two children, ages 7 and 5, were homeless, their wood-frame rental home’s interior destroyed and unlivable because firefighters had cut a hole in the roof for ventilation.          

It was the worst Father’s Day on record for Jerry and his family.           

At the same time, Roy and Joveda Neal, Conoco retiree’s, were at their home eating dinner when they received a call from Ponca City Emergency Management Director Paula Cain, who told them about the fire. 

The Neal’s have been volunteering with the Red Cross since shortly after Hurricane Rita affected their son’s home in Louisiana.  When his family came to Ponca City, the Red Cross assisted them, so the Neal’s wanted to give back to the organization that had helped their family.  As soon as they received the call, the Neal’s headed to Jerry’s home. 

“They were on site even before the trucks were gone,” Jerry said.  Joveda recalls the family being “shaken up but so nice and thankful for the Red Cross assistance”. “It made us feel very good to help them,” she said.  “That’s the whole reason we do what we do.  It gives you a warm feeling to help somebody when they’re so devastated.”           

The volunteers interviewed the family and provided assistance so they could buy their immediate necessities, including food, clothing and shoes for four people.  “They performed admirably,” Jerry said.           

Usually, the Red Cross offers to pay for a few nights at a local hotel.  However, Jerry has worked at the Holiday Inn for 10 years, so the hotel offered to cover the cost of a room for the family.  Once the family found a new home to rent, the Red Cross covered the rent.          

Today, the family is back on their feet, thanks to their own hard work and a little help from the Red Cross.  “It was a long haul back,” Jerry said. “But we’re back. 

The American Red Cross is a United Way member agency.  Their allocation from the community drive represents 44.5% of their total operating budget.  Without the support of United Way, the Red Cross would not be able to provide services to our community.  Without YOUR support, the Red Cross would not have the capacity to help fire victims, provide shelter after the ice storm, teach children about health and safety, or be available for military families in times of trouble. 

If you’d like to find out more about the Red Cross, call Chergo at 765-6605.  It’s the generous support of the United Way of Ponca City that makes local Red Cross services possible.