Red Cross assisting several families displaced by Springfield fire

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - An apartment building fire in Springfield over the weekend left more than a dozen families without homes.

“I just feel sorry for whoever got displaced,” said Alexia Martinez of Springfield.

The fire on Osgood Street in Springfield caused several families to lose everything. Western Mass News reached out to the American Red Cross to find out what happens next for those displaced residents.

“This was a big building…Mostly, you go to a one- or two-family house fire, but this was a big 25-unit building,” said Mary Nathan, the manager of the disaster program for the Red Cross.

Nathan told us with 18 of the 25 units rented to families, the team of six volunteers got to work right away

“We do a quick intake and we address their emergency needs and those emergency need are generally the need for food, shelter, and clothing,” Nathan noted.

Those emergency kits include comfort kits, blankets, and snacks. In the days following the fire, volunteers from the Red Cross recovery casework team are stepping in to help.

“They will call every person that was displaced and they will start working with them on some recovery planning,” Nathan added.

Nathan told us their work includes talking to insurance companies, management companies, and referrals to other agencies that can help with long term planning.

If you are interested in donating to the Red Cross, you can CLICK HERE for more.

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