Your Red Cross Update

By Mauri Shuler

His Napa Valley ranch house was just yards from the raging fire two weeks ago, and Kelly McDonald says he’s grateful it was miraculously spared.

“We ran out in the middle of the night, and my boots began melting,” he said.

He returned yesterday to clean up, and a Red Cross Disaster Relief truck was roaming the neighborhood offering food, water and coffee.

“I was so grateful to get the water,” he said, “because, you know, every little kindness is so important to all of us right now, even free water.”

A Red Cross volunteer accidentally dropped an I.D. badge near his house, so Kelly drove all the way into town to return it.

“I think the Red Cross is awesome,” he said. “What you all do, all these volunteers, is provide comfort and relief for people who are hurting. This community came together, and the Red Cross was part of it.”

Kelly said he hopes to sign up as a Red Cross volunteer someday.

“I am not over the shock of what happened here, and I don’t want to get over it,” he said. “I want to always remember how the community was close and loving and how the Red Cross was here to help.”

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Lori Wilson and Jim Burns provided editorial support for this story.