Catholic Charities Diocese of Fall River leveraged its experience in collecting items for those seeking basic needs to organize the donation of clothing and personal hygiene products for the survivors of the Gabriel House fire.
Shiela Chasse, director of housing and basic needs for the organization, says donations have been steady at its headquarters on Bay Street since early last week.
Catholic Charities has relied on volunteers to organize the donations for delivery. Among them is Sharon Crowell of Swansea, who’s retired and felt the need to contribute her time to help those in need.
Catholic Charities has supported 55 of the 60 survivors of the fire, providing them with 10-15 full outfits. After an initial delivery of goods to get them started, the focus now is on providing clothing targeted to their individual needs.
Due to the immense outpouring of support, Catholic Charities is no longer accepting donations of clothing. Instead, they are seeking donations to provide survivors more flexibility to meet their needs.
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Catholic Charities will continue to support the residents of Gabriel House for as long as needed.
Even though the staff and volunteers are focused on supporting the victims, they are also impacted by the collective community grief.
Catholic Charities will not accept cash donations. Those who wish to contribute money can do so through the United Way of Greater Fall River.
The Red Cross is coordinating efforts to help with the housing needs of survivors. Anyone in the community seeking counseling can start by calling the United Way’s 2-1-1 line or the Samaritans’ 988 crisis lifeline.
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