ORION, Illinois -
A Henry County family is homeless after their apartment caught fire Wednesday morning. And thanks to a social networking site, they're getting recovery help.
It happened at Sarge's Tavern located on the 300th block of 10th avenue in Orion. Fire investigators spent the day sifting through the charred building to figure out how it started. The family that lives in a rental apartment above the bar lost everything and is being helped by the American Red Cross.
When a fire breaks out in Orion volunteer firefighters are the first to get there to put it out. But the American Red Cross volunteers come out to help a family pick up the pieces.
Cheryl Johnston helped this Orion family. She says, "Nobody expects that this is going to happen to them and when it does you're in a little bit of shock and awe in any kind of disaster and this is a big disaster for them."
Disasters are what the Red Cross responds to regularly. Normally, the fire departments call them when a family needs help. But in this case Leslie Anthony at the Red Cross already knew about the fire before that call.
"Actually, I found out when I turned on WQAD's twitter. I follow the twitter everyday and that's when I saw they we're talking about a tavern that was on fire. We did contact the fire department and were told there was an apartment above the fire."
That's when Red Cross sent volunteers Cheryl and Bill Johnston.
Cheryl Johnston explains that Ron Buckwalter wasn't home at the time but his family was inside, "Mom got them out, yep, they're safe. Everything else can be replaced."
A family of four is homeless, there's nothing left to get out of their home, but thanks to the Red Cross their children Hannah and Caleb still have something.
"We also try and give everybody that wants one a toy something to hold onto something to snuggle and its amazing you give them to the adults usually they'll take them."
Not everyone is on twitter. But Anthony is encouraging her staff and volunteers to start using it because in a situation like this one, those words led to their action and made a difference.
Anthony says, "And that's how we get some of the information that we use to respond to disasters throughout the Quad Cities."
Since this family does not have insurance, the Red Cross is giving the Buckwalter family enough money for a place to stay for three days along with clothing and food. If you would like to help collections are being taken at Bank Orion in Ron Buckwalter's name.
To follow WQAD on twitter, like The American Red Cross, go to http://twitter.com/wqad
It happened at Sarge's Tavern located on the 300th block of 10th avenue in Orion. Fire investigators spent the day sifting through the charred building to figure out how it started. The family that lives in a rental apartment above the bar lost everything and is being helped by the American Red Cross.
When a fire breaks out in Orion volunteer firefighters are the first to get there to put it out. But the American Red Cross volunteers come out to help a family pick up the pieces.
Cheryl Johnston helped this Orion family. She says, "Nobody expects that this is going to happen to them and when it does you're in a little bit of shock and awe in any kind of disaster and this is a big disaster for them."
Disasters are what the Red Cross responds to regularly. Normally, the fire departments call them when a family needs help. But in this case Leslie Anthony at the Red Cross already knew about the fire before that call.
"Actually, I found out when I turned on WQAD's twitter. I follow the twitter everyday and that's when I saw they we're talking about a tavern that was on fire. We did contact the fire department and were told there was an apartment above the fire."
That's when Red Cross sent volunteers Cheryl and Bill Johnston.
Cheryl Johnston explains that Ron Buckwalter wasn't home at the time but his family was inside, "Mom got them out, yep, they're safe. Everything else can be replaced."
A family of four is homeless, there's nothing left to get out of their home, but thanks to the Red Cross their children Hannah and Caleb still have something.
"We also try and give everybody that wants one a toy something to hold onto something to snuggle and its amazing you give them to the adults usually they'll take them."
Not everyone is on twitter. But Anthony is encouraging her staff and volunteers to start using it because in a situation like this one, those words led to their action and made a difference.
Anthony says, "And that's how we get some of the information that we use to respond to disasters throughout the Quad Cities."
Since this family does not have insurance, the Red Cross is giving the Buckwalter family enough money for a place to stay for three days along with clothing and food. If you would like to help collections are being taken at Bank Orion in Ron Buckwalter's name.
To follow WQAD on twitter, like The American Red Cross, go to http://twitter.com/wqad
