Sue Wisdom | NOHredcross

After spending a second night in an American Red Cross shelter at Richmond Heights High School, Tracy Foster felt relieved.

“Every one of my needs have been met. I’ve been able to shower, feed my cat, and got breakfast lunch and dinner.”

Foster is one of the residents of the Loganberry Ridge Apartments who stayed in the shelter, after dozens were chased from their homes by fire on Friday, July 20, 2018. Because of the potential need to provide lodging for so many people, the Red Cross established the shelter with the assistance of Richmond Heights Local Schools.

Most residents found alternative lodging arrangements. But on Friday night, nine residents took shelter in the school.

Red Cross partners at the Salvation Army supplied dinner on Friday night, and the Cleveland Animal Protective League delivered supplies for the dog and two cats the residents brought with them. Pets that aren’t service animals aren’t normally permitted in a Red Cross shelter, but Richmond Heights school officials made an exception.

“It means everything to me to have my love here with me,” Tracy said of her cat Diamond. “She’s a house cat. She’s always home. The fact that the shelter made it possible for her to have her own little home here has made her much more comfortable with the devastation we’re going through.”

It is not known when the residents will be able to return to their homes. But until then, the Red Cross is committed to providing shelter for all in need.

See more photos of our response and shelter operation here.

“The people who are here are awesome,” said shelter manager Sue Wisdom. “They’re a great group of people. They’re very caring and appreciative of everything the Red Cross is doing for them.”

While partners often help with meals, most of the food provided to residents is supplied by the Red Cross. Combined with the cost of training volunteer shelter workers, the cots and blankets supplied to shelter residents, transportation, storage and logistics costs, the expenses add up. That’s why donations to the Red Cross are so important. A $50 donation can provide a full day of food and shelter for one person, including three meals, a cot, two blankets, and a comfort kit as well as the costs to support the Red Cross workers providing this needed service.

Shelter volunteers Monica Bunner and Sue Wisdom consult with a resident at the shelter at Richmond Heights High School on Sunday, July 22, 2018.

Donations can be made by visiting the Red Cross website, or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

The Loganberry Ridge residents had to move out of the high school on Sunday – due to previous commitments there. They were resettled nearby, at the Christian Assembly Church, where the same five residents stayed again Sunday night. And fortunately for Tracy, she was able to keep her beloved Diamond by her side.

“I’m very grateful to the Red Cross for putting me AND my cat up for as long as we need to be. The people are very kind. Very warm and helpful.”

Disaster Workers Return After Two-Week Deployment

Northeast Ohio Red Cross volunteers Furman Alden and Sue Wisdom

Furman Alden and Sue Wisdom are back home, after spending two weeks on deployment following Hurricane Harvey. The Northeast Ohio volunteers spent long hours driving an Emergency Response Vehicle through streets in and around Houston, making sure residents had access to warm meals, water and snacks.

“No one sees skin color, religion or politics,” said Sue, a Lake County resident and a veteran of disaster relief operations. “From the youngest to the oldest, the way people came together to help each other, it’s heartwarming.”

Sue said several little boys volunteered to help distribute meals, going door-to-door after receiving their own meals and learning about the work of the Red Cross. “They were amazing,” she said. “I gave them cookies, and one of them said ‘You are so nice.’ That made may day!”

Furman Alden, also a veteran of disaster work, said he has never seen so much debris piled so high in front of so many houses. The Youngstown resident said, “The whole way down the street, they emptied their houses completely. Furniture, dry wall, everything. It was messy.”

He says they were the first relief workers to reach a neighborhood that had been cut off by flooded roadways. “We were the first ones to get in there. They were so happy to see us.”

It was a struggle getting anywhere. Furman says driving was stressful, due to bumper-to-bumper, stop-and-go traffic. But the ERV he and Sue drove was a lifeline for so many Texans who lost so much in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

More than 7,000 Red Cross disaster workers responded in Texas, Florida, and other areas hit hard by Harvey and Hurricane Irma, providing the same life-sustaining services that Sue and Furman delivered. More volunteers are needed to continue the mission. Visit our website at redcross.org/neo, and click the VOLUNTEER tab to begin an application.

A message from the Volunteer Services Department:

All volunteers must complete a free online volunteer application, which includes acknowledgement of policy statements and a criminal background check

Volunteers will need to successfully complete disaster training before being eligible for potential deployment, this can include a combination of in-person and/or online training

Depending on adjustment of the real-time needs of the disaster locations and your specific abilities- you may not deploy immediately or at all.

Call 216-431-3328 for more information.

This video was created on the day Sue Wisdom and Furman Alden left Northeast Ohio in response to the residents of Texas following Hurricane Harvey.

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American Red Cross of Northern Ohio Region

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