Northland Red Cross Chapter Helping Deer River Family of Five After Fire Takes Everything

At least the family is safe, but just as the kids were excited to get back to school, fire has taken everything from a Deer River family of five.  The Northland is great at helping those in need and our area Red Cross is hoping we can help this family.

The executive director of the Northland Chapter Red Cross, reported that the chapter is assisting a family of five, including three children aged 5-7, following a serious blaze last night.

"Our Twin Ports-based volunteer dispatchers, David and Marcia Heyser, learned from the Deer River Fire Department that the fire was very serious and that the family lost everything, even the childrens’ shoes, in the blaze,” said executive director Judy Hanne Gonzalez. Becky Trudel, a Red Cross volunteer nurse and disaster responder from Grand Rapids is meeting with the victims today to assess their disaster-related needs, which could be extensive.

The Northland Chapter, which can be reached at 218-722-0071, responds to about 100 local disaster annually. Red Cross disaster relief includes emergency housing, food, clothing, medicine and medical supplies, eyeglasses, health services, and disaster counseling. Relief takes the form of preloaded debit cards, that are used in local businesses by clients, thus pumping up to $1000,000 in charitable contributions back into the community it serves.