going deeper
Helping Silver Spring Apartment families
By: Rob
There are several families without a home after a terrible explosion at a local apartment complex in Silver Spring last night. You may have heard about the injuries and loss of life as a result as well. We are heartbroken for these families, and are asking you to help us keep them in your prayers. The apartments are just down the street from our studios. They say residents will face a long recovery ahead.
If you are also looking for some other tangible ways to help them in their time of need, we've put together a list of organizations who are helping with relief efforts.
I'm at three-alarm fire in #SilverSpring. Eyewitness just gave me this video. Multiple people injured @ABC7News pic.twitter.com/HaxWvJShJt
— Kevin Lewis (@ABC7Kevin) August 11, 2016
Temporary Shelter
The Long Branch Community Center (located across the street from the apartments) will serve as a temporary Red Cross shelter for displaced families. The director of Montgomery County's Department of Health and Human Services, Uma Ahluwalia, stresses that people should not be afraid to come, and each household affected is eligible for support and assistance. Bilingual staff are on-hand to help residents as well.
Donations
Pete Piringer, spokesman for Montgomery County Fire shared these ways to make a financial contribution:
Mail to:
Montgomery Housing Partnership
(Attn: Long Branch Fire)
12200 Tech Road, Suite 250
Silver Spring, MD 20904
[Write LONG BRANCH FIRE in the check memo]
Online donations (preferred): www.MHPartners.org
Goods
Adventist Community Services Center is accepting donations of clothing, houseware items, toiletries, blankets, sheets, and school supplies. Arecely Salvador, an ACS volunteer, says these items can be dropped off at their location (501 Sligo Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910) and will be open over the weekend from 1 - 4 pm both Saturday & Sunday. Salvador also says each household will receive gift cards that they can use throughout the year for taking care of whatever needs they may have. Online donations can be made by visiting www.acsgw.org.
Other items can also be donated to the CASA Welcome Center, located at:
734 University Blvd. East (off University Blvd, just south of Piney Branch)
A Wider Circle on Brookeville Road, is accepting furniture. Call 301-608-3504 for pickup or drop-off furniture seven days a week.
The Red Cross also is asking people to donate blood at their blood donation centers.
Montgomery County has also created a website dedicated to taking donations for families.