Local agencies have been flooded with donations to help victims of Friday’s devastating apartment fire on Ash Street.
Within hours of the blaze, residents were contacting local agencies and area schools inquiring how they could help. By the end of the day, the Salvation Army in New Westminster, St. Barnabas Church and the Hospitality Project at Shiloh Sixth Avenue Church announced they were accepting donations to assist those impacted by the fire. Kary Movers in Surrey also held a donation drive on Sunday to collect clothing and household items.
“We have more than we can handle to assist the tenants,” said Kimberly Hayek, triage coordinator at the Hospitality Project. “It’s wonderful.”
The City of New Westminster announced Monday afternoon that due to “overwhelming support” more than enough items had been collected to assist residents affected by the fire.
The 36 tenants who lived at 404 Ash St. and received assistance through Emergency Support Services were set to meet again with officials from the program that helps with their basic needs for 72 hours following an emergency.
“The 72 hours was today, but we have been able to get an extension of one day from the province,” Cheryl Meyers, manager of Victim Assistance and Emergency Support Services, said Monday. “We are meeting with these people one-on-one this afternoon to help ensure they have accommodation. We are trying to provide an integrated plan for them. As the 72-hour (mandate) ends tomorrow, they will have a place to go.”
When meeting with the tenants, Emergency Support Services will be providing displaced tenants with a list of the organizations that have been collecting items on their behalf.
“There is a number of nonprofits in the community who have come forward and are collecting goods of all kinds. There’s a trust fund,” Meyers said. “This has nothing to do with us, however, because these nonprofits are collecting clothing, pots and pans and small furniture, there is a list going to be provided to all of the residents this afternoon, and they will be told who they can phone if they have particular needs.”
Victim Assistance and Emergency Support Services attended Friday’s fire, assessed the scene and arranged for buses to take people left on the street in their pajamas to a reception centre at Centennial Lodge in Queen’s Park.
Fire raced through the building at 404 Ash St. about 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 31. Tenants of four buildings in the area were evacuated, while firefighters sought to extinguish the blaze – and prevent it from spreading to nearby buildings.
“We basically look at who is going to go home, who is going to have to be out permanently. Once everybody was allowed back in their building, we knew that we would be putting together applications for the residents of 31 suites in the building that was not standing,” Meyers said. “We provide them with 72 hours of food, clothing, lodging. We find them places to stay.”
Although tenants of neighbouring buildings that had been evacuated as a precautionary measure were allowed back into their homes later Friday, there was no home for those living in 404 Ash St. to return to as the building was gutted by fire. Emergency Support Services provided 36 people in 31 units of that building with temporary housing, food and necessities such as items from drug stores.
As Emergency Support Services’ mandate is to tend to needs for the first 72 hours, it’s up to tenants to avail themselves of services being offered in the community.
Cash donations for the victims are being collected at the New Westminster branch of Community Savings Credit Union at 1188 Eighth Ave. New Westminster MLA Judy Darcy’s constituency office has also been assisting fire victims in accessing various services and replacing identification that was destroyed in the fire.
“We are going to give everybody this (contact) information and they are going to, if they are interested, have to make those contacts on their own,” Meyers said of the various resources. “It really has nothing to do with the police or Emergency Support Services, it’s strictly another resource that we are giving them. It’s up to them to avail themselves of those services.”
