Damage, mold force Red Cross to move out

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Damage, mold force Red Cross to move out

The Times and Democrat - Orangeburg,SC*

By RICHARD WALKER, T & D Staff Writer

Monday, July 21, 2008

When it rains, it pours.

While the weather this past week offered off-again, on-again rain,

it seems to have poured inside the Red Cross facility on Louis

Street.

" Monday, I went to work and within an hour, I was very sick,

couldn't breathe, I was choking, " said , executive

director of the Greater Edisto Chapter of the American Red Cross. " I

left for a while, came back to the office and became very sick

again. "

What appears to have happened is a growth of mold has sprung up in

the facility, said, that stems from the tree-damaged roof that

hasn't been repaired because of an insurance deductible that hasn't

been met because of a lack of donations.

In addition, if the deductible were to be met, finding a contractor

has been a tall order thus far, said. Then, on Saturday night,

a fire alarm went off. A light fixture apparently damaged when a

tree fell on the building in May caught fire, damaging the area

immediately around the appliance.

A building inspector visited on Thursday. With trusses under the

roof suspected of being broken, the recommendation came back to move

out.

In other words, it's raining on Louis Street, figuratively speaking,

which has caused the non-profit organization to seek shelter in

rented office space on Boulevard, a move that began Tuesday.

" I have no idea how long we're going to be out of the building, "

said. " I don't know. "

In spite of the time it will take to move, said there will be

no drop in service to needy families.

Times are tough. says she is aware that with the ripple

effects of the high cost of living, extra money for those who

normally give is running in the opposite direction of fuel prices.

But the organization still needs a helping hand, or two, if anyone

has anything to donate. And with the added monthly expense of paying

rent, the group's goal of reaching the $2,500 deductible for the

Louis Street facility moves further out of reach, said.

said she isn't sure how much the group is short of making the

deductible. All of the records are still inside the Louis Street

facility.

" It's like this cascade that's going round and round and we can't

hop off like Dorothy did, " she said. " It just keeps going faster and

faster. "

If anyone wishes to offer a helping hand to the group that offers a

helping hand, the Greater Edisto Chapter of the American Red Cross

can be reached at 803-534-5735 or at the temporary home at 1255

Boulevard.

n T & D Staff Writer can be reached by e-mail at

rwalker @timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5516.

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