BRATTLEBORO — The last of the families displaced by the Nov. 7 fire on Valgar Street in Brattleboro have now found a place to live, according to Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA), which worked to resettle the families.
The fire, determined to be the result of arson, initially displaced 45 people from this Windham & Windsor Housing Trust (WWHT) affordable housing development.
SEVCA worked closely with WWHT and other local organizations to respond to this crisis, providing intensive services to assist families to find and settle into new apartments. Community members, responding to the appeal for help published in area newspapers, chipped in with donations of money and furniture to assist those impacted by the fire.
Of the seven families whose apartments were unlivable - almost all of whom had children and lived in 3-bedroom apartments - only one was able to be moved into an available WWHT unit right away, with the rest having to be sheltered in area motels, many for several weeks, according to a SEVCA news release.
SEVCA worked with each of these families individually to obtain alternative housing; assisted with moving costs; coordinated support from the Red Cross, advocating for all displaced families to get the maximum benefit possible; purchased beds with a $5,000 contribution from the Southeastern Windham COAD (local emergency response coalition) and local donations; provided clothing and furniture vouchers to be used at SEVCA's Good Buy Thrift Stores; helped coordinate local donations to ensure they got to the families that needed them; and connected families to other available resources.
Amanda Bragg's family lost almost everything they owned because of fire and water damage, according to SEVCA.
She, her husband, and their three young children (ages 3, 5, and 9), had to stay in a motel for about a month after the fire, but she says that they are doing much better now that they are housed in a 2-bedroom unit at another WWHT development.
She described the outpouring of community support for her family as “overwhelming,” according to the news release.
Among the many donations the Bragg family received were clothing and Christmas gifts for her children collected by Oak Grove School in Brattleboro. SEVCA coordinated emergency support from the Red Cross, purchased new beds for the whole family, and provided furniture and kitchen essentials.
“SEVCA was there with us right from the start,” Amanda said, “and they kept in contact with us, making sure that we got everything we needed. The hearts of the staff there are huge, they make you feel cared for every time they talk to you. Even though we faced this horrible tragedy, all the love and support that was wrapped around our family has almost made us feel as if nothing bad has happened,” she said.
Pat Burke, SEVCA's Family Services director, said that helping all the families affected by the fire to start over again depended on successful collaboration among a variety of partners.
“It just demonstrates the good work that community providers can do when they collaborate,” she said.
Once the destroyed units are rebuilt, estimated to take at least six months, those displaced will be able to return to Valgar Street.