EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) -
Residents displaced by Friday's east side apartment fire are looking to the Red Cross for help. 16 apartments were affected in that fire, and although belongings were lost, luckily, no one was hurt.
The Red Cross says only one of those 16 units affected was vacant, so right now, they're working with 15 families who had to evacuate Vann Park Apartments.
Victims say they're thankful not only for the physical help, like necessities and food, but the emotional help as well.
"I've never been in a fire or anything before in my life," said Helen Jennings, who's been displaced by the fire.
Fire victim Helen Jennings says this is the first time she's needed help getting back on her feet. Jennings along with residents of 14 other apartment units were displaced by Friday's fire that EFD says was caused by a juvenile playing with a lighter.
On Saturday, yellow tape still surrounds those apartments; the damage too great for residents to get back inside their building.
"Most of us are, we don't have the money to go and buy the stuff right now that we need," said Jennings.
That's where the Red Cross steps in to help out. The organization says a mental health worker has been helping some of those victims. While they say many residents are staying with family, the Red Cross has a shelter at their Stockwell Road headquarters.
"We also give them comfort kits that have the basic necessities like razors, tissue, toothpaste and toothbrushes. Just the basic things that they'll need," said Julie Krizen, who is the Community Relations Coordinator with the American Red Cross.
The Red Cross says they'll follow up with those residents later on.
"We'll try to sit down with them and find out what their long-term plan is for housing and you know, their other needs," said Krizen.
All help, fire victims like Jennings say, starts them on the road to recovery.
"They gave me the encouragement that I needed and gave me the courage to take and talk to other residents and stuff and try to help them out," said Jennings.
There's still no word on how long those residents will be displaced.
The Red Cross says they're about $13,000 away from their 'Heroes Campaign' goal with a banquet to celebrate coming up on Thursday. The 'Heroes Campaign' raises money to help out victims of disasters like this one.
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