by Stephanie Wesseling, American Red Cross Public Affairs

“The Red Cross came to my rescue, and I’ve never forgotten that,” says Michael Cary, a veteran from California.

After being discharged from military service in 1983, Michael returned with his wife and two sons to a home he inherited from his grandmother in Ojai, California.

About a month after he returned stateside, a fire broke out near Los Padres National Forest and pushed toward Ojai and into Matilija Canyon.

Michael stayed at his home for as long as possible, but the fire quickly crept to his doorstep. He recalls running to the nearby creek and “laying face up to breathe.”

Michael and his family lost everything, including his grandmother’s home, his car and family photos.

Multiple charities, including the Red Cross, helped provide clothes and shoes for Michael’s sons and even helped him put down a deposit for a new apartment.

Over the years, he has donated money to the Red Cross, saying, “It’s the least you can do, give back to those who helped you.”

Michael moved to Florida in 1990 and lived in Hollywood when Hurricane Andrew, a powerful category five storm, caused widespread devastation in the Bahamas, Florida and Louisiana.

The hurricane tore down his fence and ripped off part of his roof, but Michael considers himself lucky that he did not suffer additional damage.

Since then, Michael has experienced his fair share of hurricanes, storms and floods as a resident in the Bamboo Lakes Mobile Home community in Pembroke Park.

When relentless rains started to inundate South Florida last week, Michael, a maintenance worker at Bamboo Lakes, went door to door to check on his neighbors.

“I went to see if they were OK and how they fared,” says Michael.

Some areas in Broward County received as much as 20 inches of rain and a few of the homes in Bamboo Lakes were flooded.

On Saturday, June 15, a Red Cross emergency response vehicle stopped by Michael’s home to distribute ready-to-eat meals and clean-up kits containing mops, gloves and cleaning supplies.

“I will make sure these are all put to good use,” Michael says.

As the rains clear out and it becomes safe to venture out, teams of Red Cross volunteers are visiting the hardest-hit communities in South Florida to distribute ready-to-eat meals and clean-up kits.

Additionally, the Red Cross will continue to work with state, county and community partners to assess the needs of those affected and bring help and hope to families in need.

Help people affected by disasters like floods, tornadoes and countless other crises by making a gift to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org to donate today.