Kids & Family

Walter Miller Volunteers Overwhelmed by Donations

The school was overflowing with clothes, toys, shoes, food and much more as a steady stream of donations poured in all day. The items will be given to the victims of Friday night's fire at the Racquet Club Apartments.

The volunteers at Walter Miller Elementary School had just 48 hours after the devastating fire at the Racquet Club Apartments to not only organize a donation drive, but get the word out to the community.

Judging by the endless caravan of cars, vans and trucks that filed into the school parking lot all day Monday, the community heard the call. More than a hundred volunteers worked all day to unload the cars, separate the items and sort the clothing into sizes and genders.

"The power this community has to rally around each other like this is incredible," said State Representative Frank Farry, who helped organize the efforts, along with Middletown township officials and members of the school's parent-teacher organization. "Most of these people donating their things and volunteering their time don't even know the victims."

As of 6 p.m., volunteers at Walter Miller Elementary School stopped accepting donations for the victims of Friday's fire at the Racquet Club Apartments. Between 6 and 8 p.m., victims of the fire were invited to pick through the food, clothing, shoes, toys, books, baby items, and more, and gather what they could to start replenishing the things they lost in the four-alarm fire on Friday.

Representatives from the offices of Farry, Sen. Tommy Tomlinson and Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick will also be available to start the paperwork necessary to replace any important documents and credentials that may have been lost.

"When they walk out the door," said Farry, "they will have whatever they need from the donations, gift cards they can use to purchase more items and food, a personal hygiene bag with deodorant, toothbrushes and other toiletries, and all of the services will be taken care of."

Farry's office coordinated with the Racquet Club Apartments' leasing office to compile a list of everybody displaced by the fire. When they come in Monday night, the victims will be checked in before the process begins. Anybody who could not make it to Walter Miller will be contacted directly within the next few days to see if they need any assistance.

Once the victims have taken what they need, the remaining items will be taken to other local charities, such as the nearest Goodwill.

"Not only are we helping out the people affected by this disaster," said Farry, "but we will also be helping other people who need food and clothes by donating the leftovers to other organizations."

Volunteers from the American Red Cross will also be available to help the victims with any additional services they need. Jane Ward, director of donor relations for the Red Cross, was at the emergency shelter at Snyder Elementary the night of the fire assigning case managers to the approximately 20 victims that came in seeking help.

"They were so overwhelmed," said Ward. "They had lost everything, it's an overwhelming situation. Some of them have been here today already, and they are just starting to come out of that shocked state. One person didn't remember anything we said on Friday and asked us to explain it again today."

The emergency shelter has been closed. Anyone needing assistance from the American Red Cross can contact the Southeastern Pennsylvania office at (215) 299-4000.


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