Read more: Local, State, Red Cross, Money, Help, Fires, Victims, Assistance
In the past two weeks the American Red Cross has responded to eight residential fires giving $10,000 in disaster aid. That puts their current total aid at $41,000. Their annual budget for disaster aid is only $35,000 and they've got nine more months left in their fiscal year.
"This is the busiest disaster period we've ever seen in our history," said Jennifer Mariano of the Red Cross.
Compounding their worries is the size of their service area. "We serve 18 southern Colorado counties from the Kansas boarder to down to the New Mexico boarder," explained Mariano.
The bulk of their disaster service relief is used to fund client assistance cards. Credit cards essentially, that clients can use at any store to buy essentials like clothing, shoes, food, bedding/linens. The cards can even be used for hotels or rent, it's all determined on a need based system.
But now it's the Red Cross that needs more than ever. "So were again turning to the community and asking for their support," in donations of either time or money to help them stay afloat this year, explained Mariano.
Along with continuing to collect donations and planning several major fundraising events The Red Cross is partnering with the Colorado Springs Fire Department to launch a program to better educate the community on fire safety as a preventative measure. Both departments have said that the majority of these recent house fires were preventable.
