The Chatham Lions Club has stepped up in an effort to help those displaced by the recent apartment fire in Chatham.
Lions member Cynthia Hyatt said the aid began one day after the Aug. 25 fire, actually. Lions members heard people from 99 McNaughton Ave. W. had evacuated the building and some had not had the chance to grab so much as the charger for their cell phone. The Lions went out and bought 100 chargers to give to the residents.
Since that time, Chatham-Kent Fire & Rescue has co-ordinated efforts so that some residents were able to visit their units to retrieve personal belongings and medication.
Fire broke out before dawn on Aug. 25. By the time it was extinguished, 90 of the 120 units at the building had been impacted in some manner.
A Chatham woman is facing arson charges in connection with the blaze.
All residents were evacuated and as of press time had not been allowed to return. The fire marshal was still investigating and engineering teams were checking structural stability.
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is co-ordinating the effort as the affected building at 99 McNaughton Ave. W. is a municipally owned rent geared-to-income facility.
Three temporary drop-off locations to accept donations to help those impacted by a weekend fire in Chatham have been set up.
The drop-off sites include Betty Brite Dry Cleaners and Laundromat at 108 Keil Dr. S. in Chatham, Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and the Skyline buildings at 150 Mary St. and 805 Grand Ave. W. in Chatham, between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. seven days a week. Donation bins will be placed inside the front door at both locations.
But the local Lions are also seeking to raise $20,000 in monetary aid. Hyatt said the group has applied for a $10,000 International Lions grant, and hopes to see $10,000 in local donations.
“People have been donating physical items,” Hyatt said, pointing out the drop-off locations at Betty Brite and two local apartment buildings. “We’re asking that for monetary donations, they go through the Lions.”
Hyatt said the plan is to sit down with municipal staff to determine what each person needs and go from there.
“It could be pillows, clothing or medicine,” she said of where the funds could be utilized. “We’ll make sure it gets into the hands of the people who need it. It’s for what they need right now to hang in there.”
E-Transfers can be made straight to chathamlionsclub11@gmail.com and Hyatt asks if people who donate could include contact information to allow the Lions to reach out and say thank you. For people who would prefer to make the donation at the Lions Club’s bank, the Bank of Montreal at the corner of Lacroix Street and Park Avenue, Hyatt said they need to obtain banking information from the Lions first. To do so, call 519-354-1836 or email info@chathamlions.ca.
“I’m hoping in two weeks we can wrap it up and get these people what they need,” Hyatt said.
FreeHelpCK has been busy gathering donations from various places as well.
Pet and Wildlife (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.
