An October fire may have taken nearly every possession from an Ontario, Ore., family but it also brought a community together to providing a helping hand.

The Red Cross of Idaho and East Oregon was at the center of those efforts, uniting community groups to help the Peace family begin their long road to recovery.

Making sure they had a safe place to stay and warm clothing was just the start.

“I had only one outfit to wear until the fire was cleaned up enough to get back in to see what belongings had survived,” 54-year-old Brian Peace said. “And the sprinklers went off damaging what did survive.”

Brian and wife Tiffany have six children, all of whom are grown adults. One son, Connor, has autism and lives at home.

A lit candle started the October fire, and between the fire and smoke damage and the water from the suppression system, almost all their belongings were destroyed.

“We lost so much of our personal belongings, more than just the bedding and the clothes and all the electronic devices,” he said.

To make matters even more challenging, Brian has multiple sclerosis and also faces ambulatory problems caused during his 11 years serving with the U.S. Army.

But the Red Cross was there to help.

Red Cross responders provided mental health support for each family member so they could work through their feelings about the tragedy.

The organization also provided assistance to cover the family’s immediate needs like clothing and food.

Just as importantly, Brian said, Red Cross was instrumental in involving others in the greater Ontario community. The Red Cross team connected the family with Ontario’s Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the fraternal organization that became one of many to help the family get back on their feet. The Elks worked hand in hand with other fraternal organizations and private businesses to raise funds for the family.

The Acacia Masonic Lodge in Ontario was on hand throughout, and the York Rite Masons gathered money so the family could have a deposit for new housing. Also, the Ontario Fire Department’s Burnout Fund provided financial help the day after the fire.

Because of some lease complications, the family was delayed in recovering their surviving items and receiving the financial go ahead to move into a new rental.

Brian remembers the moment the family got word that they had received new housing.

“I did not have to couch surf with friends and relatives any longer,” he said.

Through fundraising and a sit-down dinner, the Elks also provided money to purchase pre-owned furniture for the family’s new two-story rental home.

“In the new place we didn't even have a place to sit. Only a bed frame, no mattress,” he said.

Even with furniture in the new rental, the disabled Army veteran still faced the challenge of living in a two-level home with stairs that were hard to navigate.

In mid-January, Brian received notice from the Veterans Administration that he had been approved to receive, at no charge, a wall-mounted stair glide system.

The family is in a much better situation now, and the Red Cross and its volunteers played a guiding role every step of the way.

“The Red Cross was tangibly trying to find people to help us,” Brian said. “From the beginning, the Red Cross was there. They were the group that offered support and advice about available resources. They did an outstanding job of helping us through a very, very hard time.”

He said that before his family's house fire, he knew very little about the Red Cross and all that it offered. His only other interaction with Red Cross happened

while he was in the Army and his grandmother passed away. The Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces team worked with the military to get word to the young
soldier about his grandmother’s passing.

“Now, we have all been really touched by how the Red Cross has been there for us,” Brian said.

JOIN OUR TEAM

Want to help members of your community recover after a disaster? Become a Red Cross disaster action team volunteer and deliver help and hope during an emergency. Visit redcross.org/volunteer to learn more.
Training is provided.