PSA- Fires and Winter Chill

I'm not really sure why such a burden has been placed on my heart for the past month or two, but I can't seem to just go about my merry way without sharing this with you.

Some of you who know me, know that my husband is in a line of work in which he sees a lot of senseless tragedy occur. As he goes off to work yet another tragic event-I would like to appeal to you all to take care of your neighbors. You see, for the second time this month a child has died in a fire within just miles from our home. Often times a fire is preventable, if we take extra vigilant measures. We can service our heaters, make sure our portable heaters have 3' of clearance and have auto shut off, we can make sure we don't overload power strips/circuits and all those sorts of things,but what if you're living in poverty? What if using the oven as a heat source is your only means of heating your home at night with below freezing temps, what if  a frayed extension cord is all you have to run to an aged portable heat source,what if you had to make the choice to put food on the table or buy batteries for the smoke detector? These are the choices some people have to make.It is our responsibility to take care of each other and in this depressed economy it is dire that we look out for each other.$20 can buy a very effective space heater with auto shut off-and often these tragedies occur in smaller older homes or older trailer homes in which a good space heater could easily provide heat.

Not always, but often the common thread in these senseless tragedies is poverty. If you know someone who is struggling with making ends meet-please be extra vigilant. Be aware that often people who are struggling are forced to take dangerous measures just to stay warm. Please look to see if they are running dangerous extension cords to older space heaters, or if perhaps they are using a oven to heat the home(or even an outdoor grill-this is a very dangerous thing due to the threat of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning) and lastly, please look to see if there are working smoke detectors in the home. Obviously, a smoke detector does not prevent a fire,but it does make a difference in the time allowed for egress. Almost always in the course of investigating these horrible tragedies the common denominator is the lack of a  smoke detector. So, it is with a very heavy heart that I plead for you to check on your neighbors-make sure they have a safe way to stay warm and if you do not have a smoke detector or you haven't changed the batteries out in quite awhile please, please, take the time to obtain and to service your smoke detectors-they can save the lives of the people you love most-your children.* note- if you do not have a smoke detector, please contact your local Fire Department/or Volunteer Fire Department often they have smoke detectors available to give out to people in need-if by chance they do not have detectors available they can instruct you where to get one.

On a different note-please remember it's the time of year in which the elements can be very harsh for the homeless. Things we take for granted like a warm coat, blanket or sleeping bag can make a big difference.If you are blessed with the basics of a roof over your head and a warm bed-please think about donating blankets, coats that are heading out to donation, sleeping bags etc. These items can make a big difference to those who are in need. If you are local and would like to donate time,money,clothing,sleeping bags,coats etc. please contact lburrus@linkministries.com.

 I'm sorry, I know this was a pretty "heavy" blog post today,but occasionally there are things more important than soap.