On Thursday morning, our community was shocked to discover a gas explosion leveled an apartment complex in the Long Branch neighborhood of Silver Spring, MD. At this stage, 2 people have died, 34 were injured, and others are still missing. On top of that, over 100 people were left homeless, having fled with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
We’re grateful that our nonprofits sprang into action immediately, coordinating with County agencies to help those affected by the tragedy. If you would like to get involved, please check out the nonprofit partners below who are providing support. Or, if you can’t pick just one, make a gift (or grant from your fund) to the Neighbors in Need Disaster Relief Fund. The Community Foundation will coordinate with the County to steward those dollars once the greatest needs are identified.
➣Montgomery Housing Partnership is accepting cash donations to help families rebounding from this tragedy. To contribute, give online or mail a check to:
Montgomery Housing Partnership
12200 Tech Road, Suite 250
Silver Spring, MD 20904
Be sure to put “Attn: Long Branch Fire” in the memo line of the check or the comment box of the online donation form.
➣IMPACT Silver Spring is coordinating a multilingual outreach effort to ensure that families can connect to the support they need. They are especially seeking Spanish, Amharic, and French volunteers to help out. Contact them at (301) 298-5117 to sign up or learn more at https://impactsilverspring.org.
➣The CASA Welcome Center is accepting toiletries and clothing. Please note that CASA received a huge influx of donations from local neighbors in the first 24 hours. Visit the website to find out what items are needed at this time or sign up to help organize the contributions. http://wearecasa.org/fire/
➣Manna Food is collecting non-perishable food. Learn more at http://www.mannafood.org/
➣Adventist Community Services of Greater Washington is accepting clothing, houseware items, toiletries, blankets, sheets, etc. (No furniture.) Learn more at http://www.acsgw.org/.
➣A Wider Circle is collecting furniture to help the families rebuild their homes. Visit http://awidercircle.org to learn more or call 301-608-3504 to donate furniture.
➣YMCA’s Youth & Family Services division is coordinating the back-to-school effort for the children who have been displaced by the fire. Find out more at http://yfs.ymcadc.org/
➣Local clinics are offering free health care to those affected. Learn more about Mary’s Center at www.maryscenter.org and Community Clinic, Inc. at http://www.cciweb.org