River Region United Way helping families displaced by fatal apartment building fire
The River Region United Way is working with others in the community to help the people who lost their homes in the recent apartment building fire that killed three people.
As Action 8 News has reported, the fire happened shortly after 8AM on Sunday, December 21. An 8-year-old boy was pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital. Two days later, 64-year-old Johnny Payne died from injuries suffered in the fire. On Christmas Eve, a 9-year-old girl died of injuries.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The fire left many residents homeless, struggling to find a new place to live. That’s why the River Region United Way is stepping in to help. It is working with the owner of another local apartment complex to help these families get new housing. That complex has agreed to waive security deposits, and the United Way will cover the first month’s rent.
River Region United Way is also working with the Salvation Army to help collect clothes, furniture and household items for these people, who say they’ll never forget the fire.
“It’s a scary feeling to be somewhere where you got to relive that tragedy again. Like, me being 19 years old and my mom is 53. Imagine a 53-year-old who’s got to run out the house. I turned back around for my mom, for my mom,” apartment resident Lakeelah Ridgle told Action 8 News.
“We know that a lot of these families are working families that contribute to our community and they were left with nothing. So we are very grateful to be able to help with them moving forward,” River Region United Way President & CEO Jannah Bailey said.
“Getting our life back together, it’s a thing that we got people out here that love us. That giving donations and I appreciate every donation that’s been given to us — clothes, food and everything that’s been given to us because it’s hard starting over for us. I thank God for letting us live to be able to tell the story so that the mayor can hear us, the council can hear us, that everybody can hear what our needs and what our wants are,” apartment resident Belinda Starks said.
“We’re going to make sure that every last family that was affected, directly or indirectly, will be taken care of. You have the word from the city council and also from the mayor. We will not leave these grounds until we have the proper protocols in place so this will not happen again,” Montgomery City Council member Oronde Mitchell said.
If you want to make a financial donation, please text “woodley” to 41444. All money donated will go directly to the victims impacted by the apartment fire.
