Family Finds Refuge in Red Cross Shelter

Tucked away inside the American Red Cross shelter set up at the UAW Local 862 building in Louisville is Antwon Goff.

He sits calmly on his makeshift bed with his youngest boy tucked under his arm. Running around the shelter are Goff’s other children: two sets of twins under the age of six-years-old.  Goff, his wife, and children have been in the shelter in for nearly a week.

The family had been at church and a surprise birthday party. It was cloudy but dry when they left. When they returned, water was everywhere.

 “I couldn’t get into the apartment so I looked through the window and there was just standing water,” Goff said. “We didn’t grab any coats because it’s so warm outside. Just to see coats floating along with dirt and trash, it was just devastating.”

The Goff family lost everything. The water was halfway up the walls in the home. They had no choice but to walk through the pouring rain to meet a family member for a place to stay that night. The water was too high for cars to pass.

“After we told our church what was going on, they made a call to the Red Cross, and we’ve been here ever since trying to get everything together,” the father said.

For several days, the Goff family has had dry, safe place to say.  The father of five said he’s thankful for all of the partners, including UAW Local 862, who came together to help him.

Thanks to those partnerships, the family now has clothes, toys, diapers and other items to replace some of what they lost.

“Honestly, everything here has been awesome,” Goff said. “It’s great to be able to call a place in a time of need and everybody comes together very quickly.”

The Red Cross continues its mission of helping people in Kentucky and Southern Indiana for as long as the help is needed. So far, the Red Cross has helped provide more than 200 overnight shelter stays. To find the nearest shelter, go to redcross.org/shelter.