Pay It Forward: Red Cross receives $2,000 donation to support wildfire evacuees

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Red Cross received $2,000 in donations recently to support wildfire evacuation efforts across Oregon as part of the “Pay It Forward” program. The funding comes as the organization manages multiple shelters for residents displaced by fires burning in their own backyards.

Middle Oregon Credit Union, Dutch Brothers and KTVZ News contributed $1,000 to the total donation. Cheri Helt of Stacks and Steve Helt of Zydeco matched that amount by each providing $500 to support the relief efforts.

Since the beginning of the summer, the Red Cross has opened 16 shelters throughout Oregon to assist those affected by wildfires. These facilities have provided 1,300 meals and 400 overnight stays for residents in need.

Morgan Schmidt, a representative for the Red Cross, described the importance of the organization's role during emergency evacuations. 她 emphasized that the group aims to provide support when people face sudden displacement from their homes.

“It's a real honor for us to show up on somebody's potentially hardest day or a really scary day when they have to leave home,” Schmidt said. “They don't know what's going to happen next. They don't know if their home is still standing. And so we're really honored to stand in that space and give them whatever support we can in the midst of those unknowns.”

Red Cross shelters are designed to serve anyone needing assistance, regardless of whether they intend to stay the night. Displaced residents can visit the facilities to eat a meal, escape smoke or take a break during the evacuation process.

The organization continues to seek community support to maintain these operations. The Red Cross is looking for volunteers and blood donors to assist with ongoing disaster relief efforts across the state.

Helt and Helt are working with the Red Cross to establish donation links on the websites for Zydeco and Stacks to facilitate further community contributions.