News
September 19, 2019Catholic Charities, AVillage, and Mansion Neighborhood Association Support Long Term Fire Recovery
AVillage…, Inc. presented Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany with $14,147.72 on Tuesday to benefit survivors of the August 23 fire on Myrtle Avenue. These funds will go to help address needs that come up in the Disaster Case Management process – paying for things as varied as furniture, medical products, or other needs chosen by the survivors that can’t be covered by other resources. Catholic Charities’ Disaster Case Managers will be working one-on-one with the affected families, in a comprehensive approach to help disaster survivors rebuild their lives and gain back some of what was lost.
This is the fourth major fire in the Mansion Neighborhood since 2006, and residents are well versed in how to help out effectively. The Mansion Neighborhood Association moved to quickly mobilize in order to meet the needs of the more than 40 survivors, working with neighborhood partners Bishop Maginn High School, A Block at a Time and Grand Street Community Arts to meet immediate needs; and spearheading the fund raising drive with AVillage acting as fiduciary.
“AVillage was pleased to step in and provide the fiscal and communications support needed for this fund drive,” said Jahkeen Hoke, Executive Director of AVillage. “A response like this actually brings all of our diverse neighborhoods in the South End closer together.”
“This money will be instrumental in helping the families affected as they rebuild their lives,” said Vincent W. Colonno, CEO of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany. “We’re grateful for AVillage, The Mansion Neighborhood Association, and the community who have responded to help, and are pleased to be able to provide assistance to those struggling to recover.”
The collaborative effort to provide long-term support is a part of CROAD’s recovery efforts. CROAD – Capital Region Organizations Active in Disaster is a coalition of local non-profit organizations, government agencies, and community partners involved in disaster response.
“We are so pleased to learn of the existence of CROAD,” said Holly Katz, chairwoman of The Mansion Neighborhood Association. “This fills a need of providing long-term support for the victims that we as neighbors attempted to do on our own during previous fires.”
Anyone affected by the fire who would like to speak with a case manager about getting help, can contact Catholic Charities at 518-641-6953.
