Red Cross goes door-to-door on MLK Day | Community Spirit

CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY, MO (KFVS) -  During the upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, Monday, January 21, volunteers from the Red Cross in Southeast Missouri will be going door-to-door  talking to people about how to prevent home fires and how to escape safely should a fire occur.

Volunteers will meet at the Red Cross office, 2430 Myra Dr., in Cape Girardeau at 10 a.m. on Jan. 21. They will be canvassing local neighborhoods passing out information about fire safety and prevention.

“Fire is the biggest disaster threat to American families—not floods, hurricanes or tornadoes,” said Ann Knopf, Volunteer Services Manager “And home fires are one disaster that can usually be prevented when people understand how to protect their families.”

Volunteers will talk to residents who are available, and will leave safety-tip door hangers for people who are not at home. The door hangers, printed in both English and Spanish, provide cooking and heating tips, and also highlight the importance of smoke alarms and the need to create and practice a fire escape plan.

Nationally, on average, the Red Cross provides food, shelter, comfort and hope to people affected by approximately 63,000 fires every year, or about one fire every eight minutes. The Southeast Missouri Red Cross Chapter responded to over 200 home fires last year.

For more information about how you can get involved, you can contact Ann Knopf at ann.knopf@redcross.org.

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