John's Story
Help for a Grandpa who rescued his two grandsons ... MORE
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The Kindness of Strangers
"I lost everything," Coleridge Jones recalls about that early morning last winter when a fire ravaged his apartment and spread through a wing of Alpha Housing Estates on Cleveland's east side, leaving scores of tenants homeless in early February. He smelled the burning odor and got out of bed to discover flames coming in through a corner of his living room. Coleridge threw several buckets of water on the fire, but when the smoke began to overwhelm him, he fled, wearing only a pair of pants and a pajama top.
"It seems to me that it was only minutes after the fire department arrived that the Red Cross got there," he continues. "Other tenants were burned out of their units in my part of the building -- a lot of them were up
in the community room. Red Cross people were there in a short time. They had food for us -- cheeseburgers and hamburgers and coffee. One of the Red Cross workers stayed with me and explained what they were going to do to help me."
The American Red Cross Greater Cleveland Chapter's disaster relief services program is supported by United Way.
A Storied Life
Coleridge is a dapper 85-year-old widower and U.S. Army veteran who can talk a blue streak, and there's plenty to talk about. He has a keen memory for people and events in a life lived through the Great Depression, a world war, the civil rights movement and other momentous events -- both public and personal.
"I never expected to get the service that I got from the Red Cross -- and the kindness and cheerfulness that went along with it." Coleridge pauses for a moment, then continues, "I came from West Virginia's coal mining fields to Columbus, Ohio when I was nine years old and grew up during the Depression, so I wasn't the kind of person who expected to get much. No one had anything to give back then -- you had to do for yourself."
And he did a lot over the years -- from selling newspapers to setting pins at a bowling alley to warehouse work, and after serving in the U.S. Army as a master sergeant during World War II, a string of jobs that included being an urban renewal relocation supervisor in Columbus and a public assistance worker in Detroit. When he moved to Cleveland, Coleridge was a reporter for the Call and Post and later became a consultant for the United Area Citizens Agency, where he worked with a number of neighborhood organizations on community issues.
Coleridge suffered smoke inhalation from the fire and was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center. He recalls that two American Red Cross (ARC) Disaster Action Team members came to check on him at the hospital within a half hour of his being admitted at the emergency room. They gave him a change of clothes and provided financial assistance for a hotel stay, food and clothing. After Coleridge was discharged from the hospital, he spoke with Karen Washington, an American Red Cross case work supervisor, who helped him develop a recovery plan.
A "Purposeful" Woman
Karen is a very "purposeful" woman, according to Coleridge. With 30 years of experience working for the American Red Cross, including a stint in Washington D.C. on ARC's Veterans Services staff, she brings solid experience and genuine compassion to her job. Coleridge had only his wallet, the clothes on his back and a modest retirement income, so he was understandably worried about having enough money for his material recovery and the replacement of his furniture. Karen contacted the Veterans Service Commission to determine his eligibility for a VA pension -- something he never knew he was entitled to. Although he was skeptical at first, she encouraged him to apply, and Coleridge has since been granted the pension.
Through Karen, the American Red Cross arranged for Coleridge to replace his eyeglasses, which were destroyed in the fire. They also assisted him with outerwear and bedding, and referred him to Transitional Resource Services, an agency that provided furniture for a new apartment.
"We had Coleridge in a hotel for several days, and after that he was able to stay with his sister for a few more days, but we had to work fast to get him in a new place," says Karen. "With the help of Alpha Housing Estates management company, we were able to find him a new home." Coleridge now resides in Winpisinger Senior Apartments, a new, full-service residential facility opened in 2006.
"It's wonderful to be able to help people get back on their feet to recover from a fire or other disaster," continues Karen. "I can't explain the feeling -- there are times when it makes my heart very full and thankful, and also very humble, because you never know what's going to happen in life."
"All the material support that was provided to me is a wonderful thing," reflects Coleridge, "but the moral support, guidance and direction that Red Cross' Karen Washington gave me are worth even more than that."
With your support for United Way of Greater Cleveland and the programs it funds, we claim Mr. Coleridge Jones as a valued member of our community.
The American Red Cross Greater Cleveland Chapter helps families in Cuyahoga, Geauga and Lake Counties prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. In addition to providing emergency assistance, the agency offers programs such as first aid and CPR training and community outreach designed to keep Cleveland safe. The American Red Cross Disaster Action Team provides free assistance, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to families whose homes have been destroyed by fire or who have undergone other disasters. For more information, call 216-431-3010 or visit www.redcross-cleveland.org.
United Way of Greater Cleveland funds the American Red Cross Greater Cleveland Chapter's disaster relief services and other programs, along with nearly 180 health and human service programs at more than 130 partner agencies helping more than 400,000 Greater Cleveland residents each year.
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