Tuesday, December 28, 1999
Aid pours in for fire victims in Butler Co.
20 tons of goods sent for 55 families
BY MICHAEL D. CLARK
The Cincinnati Enquirer
UNION TOWNSHIP — The outpouring of concern from Greater Cincinnatians for victims of last week's apartment fire here has filled a 40,000-square-foot warehouse with more than 20 tons of goods.
“We are beyond surprised. We are astonished,” Union Township Administrator David Gully said Monday as he stood surrounded by a warehouse full of donations.
Emergency relief officials said the outpouring of donations has exceeded the needs of the 55 families whose homes were destroyed when fire gutted the 65-unit Woodbridge on the Lake apartments, off Interstate 75 in Butler County.
Some donations, which have included furniture, toys, clothes and food, will be channeled to other needy Tristate families who have suffered losses recently, Mr. Gully said.
He said the Red Cross will assist with distribution. Families that qualify for aid will be certified by Red Cross officials through Jan. 10 and allowed to use the donated goods being stored in a warehouse donated by D.A. Development Co. off Beckett Road in Union Township.
Mr. Gully said material donations are no longer needed but cash donations for the Woodbridge fire victims are welcome and can be made at Fifth Third Bank and First National Bank branches.
Patti Alderson, president of the Key Foundation community outreach program serving both Union and Liberty townships in Butler County, described the outpouring of donations as “unreal.”
“People have been so kind,” said Ms. Alderson, whose Key Foundation has coordinated the relief effort for the fire victims.
Some of the families left homeless by the Dec. 23 fire were able to move into undamaged apartments Monday, said Starr Barry, regional vice president of Metropolitan Properties of America Inc., owners of the Woodbridge complex.
But Mary Hughes and her two teen-age boys were not among them. Ms. Hughes' family lost all they had in the Woodbridge fire and she was without renter's insurance. Fire officials said the blaze ignited when a resident was heating grease and left it unattended on a stove.
Monday, Ms. Hughes tearfully picked through the donated goods with the help of Toni Cowan, a friend who housed the Hughes family during the Christmas holiday.
“I was really scared watching my home burn down. I was really down until I came in here and saw every thing people had done,” she said gazing over the 40,000-square-foot warehouse filled to all four corners with donations.
“I couldn't believe it,” she said.
Mr. Gully said more volunteers are needed to process and coordinate distribution of the donated goods.
Beginning this morning at 8, and continuing through 48 consecutive hours to 8 a.m. Thursday, volunteers are needed to move and process the 20 tons of donated items.
Volunteers can report to the Voice of America building at 8070 Tylersville Road or call 777-5900 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. for information.
In Clermont County, meanwhile, four families fled to safety when a Batavia Township apartment complex on Marbe Lane caught fire about 12:25 a.m. Monday.
Three Clermont fire departments battled the blaze at Alpine Apartments, and brought it under control within 20 minutes, Batavia fire officials said.
Damage was estimated at about $100,000. No injuries were reported.
Sheila McLaughlin contributed to this report.
Security boosted for festivities
Dad, 2 daughters die in Brown Co. blaze
Aid pours in for fire victims in Butler Co.
1963 forecast for the end of century still reads like science fiction
Ohio: We're Y2K ready
Snow, ice imperil drivers
Clinton lauds judge's poetry
New Year's Evening dress
Teacher dies after car runs her down
Turning the page to 2000
$2,500 grants to aid home buyers
Bartenders testify in DUI case
Butler board OKs hike in 2000 budget
Butler history, industry linked
Complaint against mayor to be examined
Help for flood victims trickles
Teardown may revive plaza
$13.3M to fund road, sewer work
GET TO IT
TRISTATE DIGEST
