Donations for in for residents displaced by fire at Chatham housing complex

The community is responding to a call for donations to help 99 people displaced by a fire at a Chatham housing complex.

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The municipality reported Monday people were displaced following a large fire at 99 McNaughton Ave. W., early Sunday morning that saw flames shooting through the roof. The blaze impacted 90 of the 120 units in the apartment building.

In about six hours, a pile of clothes and toiletries had already been donated by residents on Tuesday at Betty Brite Dry Cleaners and Laundromat, which is a designated drop-off location.

Tammy Ripley, who owns and operates the Chatham business with her husband Brent, said she knew as soon as the call for donations went out “it was going to go wild.”

So she wasn’t surprised to see the response from the community Tuesday morning.

“They were lined up at my front door at 9 am wanting to drop off donations,” Ripley said.

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Noting the business helps the community through such organizations as Chatham Goodfellows and Community Living Chatham-Kent, Ripley said, “People trust who we are.”

She is confident the donations are going to greatly increase.

“I got a feeling.”

Josiena De Haan is one of the many local residents who dropped off clothes at Betty Brite on Tuesday.

“I was going to donate the clothes regardless,” she said. “We’re too blessed.”

In response to the many inquires about donations for those impacted by the fire, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent issued a media release Tuesday that it has set up temporary donation drop-off locations at:

• Betty Brite Dry Cleaners – 108 Keil St. S. in Chatham – drop off Monday to Friday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• SkyLine apartment buildings at 150 Mary St. and 805 Grand Ave. W. in Chatham – drop off between 1 pm-4 pm – seven days a week at both locations. There will be donation bins inside the front door.
• Emmanuel Baptist Church in Chatham at 100 McNaughton Ave. W. – accepting donations from Monday to Friday, 9 am to noon. Come to the back of the church and go to the office.
• Christ Church in Chatham at 80 Wellington St. W. – accepting donations Tuesday to Friday 9 am to noon. Ring the bell when you arrive with a donation.
• Trinity United Church in Wallaceburg at 750 Wellington St. – accepting donations Tuesday to Thursday from 10 am to noon. Drop off at the front entrance.

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Items being sought for donation include adult clothing for men and women, hygiene products and food items, the release said.

Many of the displaced residents are temporarily staying in hotel rooms and are not able to cook food, so non-perishable food items would be appreciated, the municipality said.

These items include peanut butter, fruit cups, apple sauce cups, crackers, cereal bars, granola bars, cereal, juice boxes, tea bags, instant coffee, sugar, and powdered creamer.

Furniture items are currently not being accepted.

Pet and Wildlife Rescue (PAWR) at 405 Park Ave. E. in Chatham is also seeking donations of dog food, cat food, and kitty litter for pets that have been temporarily rehomed at PAWR, the municipality said.

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Municipal spokesperson Erie Labadie said case managers with Chatham-Kent Employment and Social Services have been assigned to help displaced residents.

He added they are evaluating the needs of the residents and “they will be facilitating the donations.”

Tim Haskell, spokesperson for FreeHelpCK, said the local charitable organization has joined forces with the municipality “to help mitigate the impact of the recent fire on affected individuals.

“We have been pleased to see the municipality’s dedication to providing for the victims’ basic needs, including housing, food, medical care, and daily essentials,” he said.

FreeHelpCK is focused on collecting and organizing clothing and hygiene products with the help of Betty Brite to supplement the municipality’s efforts, Haskell said.

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