Red Cross shelters set up to help storm victims
UPDATE:
As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, the American Red Cross says shelter locations include Beech River Airport at 1600 Mt. Arafat Road in Darden and Kenton First Baptist Church.
The shelter in Obion closed at noon on Dec. 15.
EARLIER STORY:
KENTON, Tenn. — On Friday, Dec. 10, the City of Kenton saw widespread damage after severe storms moved through the area.
Now, the American Red Cross has opened a shelter in the community for anyone in need.
“The mayor requested some help. So I came over here and I talked to the preachers of this church, and I told him we were going to open a shelter, and he said that we could use this building,” said Loran Newton, the Kenton shelter manager for the Red Cross.
The shelter is located at First Baptist Church in Kenton and has been open since Saturday for anyone in need of a place to stay.
“If anyone is looking for a place to stay, all they have to do is show up and we’ll register them under the Red Cross and have them a place to stay,” Newton said.
The American Red Cross is also hosting three hot meals a day for anyone who would like one.
“Here in this county, the restaurants are furnishing food here, and it’s open to anybody. So stop and get a good hot meal,” Newton said.
The Kenton shelter will remain open over the next few days to house anyone in need, but they also have a shelter in Hornbeak and Lexington.
“We don’t have a time limit on our shelter. We know when these ladies leave, we’ll be open for about two more days to see if anyone else comes in,” Newton said.
The American Red Cross is also welcoming any volunteers to help out at their shelters.
“If you want to volunteer here at the shelter, you just have to show up at the shelter and say, ‘I want to volunteer,'” Newton said.
If you don’t need any housing help from the Red Cross, but have still been affected, they can send their Disaster Assessment Group to help out.
“If you have been affected and you’re not sure if the Red Cross has been to your house, you can come by the shelter. We’ll take your information and pass it on to our DA Group, or Disaster Awareness, and make sure they’ve been by your house,” Newton said.
They are serving breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and dinner from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to anyone who would like a meal.
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