fire Archives - Page 2 of 2

Working in Long Term Disaster Recovery

March 1, 2017/2 Comments/in colorado, Denver, disaster, fire, house fire, long term recovery, mental health, our front porch, post-disaster housing, renters insurance, social enterprise, startup, support system, temporary housing, therapy, trauma, Uncategorized, women /by Heather Korth

Guest Blogger: Carla Williams, Our Front Porch Intern 2016-17

Moving to Colorado less than 5 months ago, was nothing short of my biggest life decision. I knew University of Denver was offering me a chance to be a part of an amazing program I couldn’t pass up. Within our program, we are required to partner with a local internship for field experience. That was when I encountered Our Front Porch.

From left to right, Carla, Heather and Sarah presenting Our Front Porch’s services at the Arapahoe County Resource Fair.

Three Things I’ve Learned from Being Part of a Start Up

January 28, 2017/1 Comment/in colorado, Denver, disaster, disaster relief, disaster stress, fire, hardship, house fire, job, mental health, therapy, trauma, Uncategorized, volunteering /by Heather Korth

Guest Blogger: Sarah Stone, Our Front Porch Intern 2016-17

First of all, I can’t believe this internship is half over. I feel like just yesterday, I was completing orientation and getting the OFP 101. I took the time to reflect over the holiday break on the growth and development that I have made as well as Our Front Porch.

Scenes from a start up.

Compassionately Listening

January 11, 2017/in colorado, Denver, disaster, disaster stress, fire, healing, house fire, mental health, support system, temporary housing, therapy, trauma, Uncategorized /by Heather Korth

Listening with compassion sounds pretty straightforward, but it is often more challenging than you think. I have had lots of practice, especially when I’m working with disaster survivors, and I still have plenty of room for improvement. I have often gone back to this Dalai Lama quote as I think it so well describes how to truly be compassionate:

“Usually, our concept of compassion or love refers to the feeling of closeness we have with our friends and loved ones. Sometimes compassion also carries a sense of pity. This is wrong. Any love or compassion which entails looking down on the other is not genuine compassion. To be genuine, compassion must be based on respect for the other, and on the realization that others have the right to be happy and overcome suffering, just as much as you. On this basis, since you can see that others are suffering, you develop a genuine sense of concern for them.”

~ The XIVth Dalai Lama

Heather responding to a disaster as part of the Red Cross Disaster Assistance Team.

When Disaster Strikes… on Vacation

October 27, 2016/in disaster, disaster stress, fire, hardship, house fire, mental health, trauma, Uncategorized /by Heather Korth

Guest Blogger: Sheila Babyak

Vacations can be the most anticipated, fun-filled events of a lifetime. We spend all year deciding where to go, how to get there, what we’ll do, and budgeting our money to be sure it is a vacation of a lifetime! No one ever thinks that their vacation could be disrupted by some sort of an unexpected event or disaster. While we can’t plan for unknown disruptions or disasters there are things that we can do to prepare ourselves in the event a situation should arise.

Where the fire started. Photo Credit: Sheila Babyak

How Much Should Housing Cost?

June 16, 2016/in colorado, Denver, disaster, disaster housing, disaster stress, fire, high rent, house fire, post-disaster housing, temporary housing /by Our Front Porch

The generally accepted rule of thumb for housing costs is 30% of your income. Do the math. Where do you fall on the spectrum? If you live in the Denver metro area and are renting, that percentage has been steadily increasing over the last few years. According to Housing Colorado, one out of every four renters in this beautiful state spends more than 50% of their income on rent. So what do housing costs really look like?

Image Courtesy of www.makeroomusa.org

What Does Post-Disaster Housing Look Like?

January 22, 2016/2 Comments/in colorado, Denver, disaster, disaster housing, fire, house fire, post-disaster housing, temporary housing /by Our Front Porch

Whenever I mention my desire to build post-disaster housing, I get a funny look as most people say, “you mean like the FEMA trailers?” Images like this one were far too common after Katrina and have been burned into our memories by the media. So first off, let’s dispel that myth.

http-::www.pbs.org:newshour:rundown:in-louisiana-toxic-trailers-return-to-house-oil-workers

Image Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Christmas Vacation: Don’t Let it Happen to You!

December 21, 2015/in disaster, disaster relief, disaster stress, fire, fire prevention, hardship, house fire, our front porch, trauma /by Our Front Porch

We have likely all seen the movie Christmas Vacation, can likely quote the memorable parts, and cringe when Cousin Eddie empties the trailer septic tank into the storm sewer. But watching Uncle Lewis ignite the Christmas tree is absolutely the highlight. But that could never happen, right? Or could it?

Scene from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Disaster Strikes…What to do First.

August 13, 2015/in disaster, fire /by Our Front Porch

You wake up in the middle of the night to a smoke alarm going off, a loud knock at the door, or the smell of smoke… within seconds you have to get out of your home as quickly as possible. You grab your loved ones and pets and run outside. If you’re lucky, you grabbed your cell phone or wallet on the way out. Before you know what happened, you are standing outside as the Fire Department battles the flames. Everything you own is burnt, melted, or water logged. Now what?

Image courtesy of CC

Renter’s Insurance: It’s Cheap. You Need It!

June 16, 2015/in disaster, fire, insurance, renters insurance /by Our Front Porch

As a Red Cross responder, I have met many people who are recovering from house fires. Most of these people are renters and most don’t have insurance. Dealing with a fire or other disaster is an overwhelming, frustrating and stressful experience, but having insurance can bring much-needed relief. According to the Insurance Information Institute, 95% of homeowners have insurance, however only 40% of renters have insurance. Why do YOU need it?