Raleigh neighborhood collaborative looks to help displaced fire victims

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Members of the Glenwood South Neighborhood Collaborative are banding together to help out their fellow neighbor- one of the displaced residents at Glenwood Towers.

On October 26, a ninth floor apartment caught fire that forced evacuations. The entire ninth floor is uninhabitable and residents are either staying with friends and family or at a hotel.

Paulette Blakey, who lives next door to where the fire started, is one of them.

"No one can say it's great," she said, as she spoke of her current living arrangement at a Raleigh Extended Stay hotel. "I cannot go back to my apartment at all."

She told ABC11 she wanted to be clear that she is grateful for being taken care of, but the interim situation is still challenging. "The food situation -- I've only cooked once since I've been here. I usually don't start thinking about it until I think about the things I've lost."

The GSNC is hopeful to get a collection of soon-to-be donated supplies to residents like Blakey who are awaiting a more permanent situation.

"I think it is really hard to be displaced, to not know what condition your home is in or when you back," said Sharon Hayes with the Saint Saviour's Center. The center neighbors Glenwood Towers and over 100 residents evacuated to their campus the day of the fire.

"What wasn't burned out, was smoked out. So everything needs to be replaced," Hayes said. "Just think if you lost everything, what would you need to rebuild your home."

GSNC is requesting the following items for donation:

• Dishes, glassware, silverware (sets of 4)
• Pots and pans
• Bar soap, deodorant, shampoo and conditioner
• Paper towels, toilet paper
• Cooking utensils (spatula, big spoons, knives, can opener)
• Dish towels, sponges or dishcloths
• Bed sheets (double or full), blankets, pillows
• Bath towels, hand towels, washcloths
• Broom, dustpan, mop, and bucket
• Household cleaning products (Comet, Lysol, Windex, etc.), and laundry detergent
• Gift cards to Harris Teeter or Walmart

The collaborative said donations can be dropped off at the Saint Saviour's Center between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, or call 919-833-6400 to make an appointment for another time.

"People in the community care...and a lot of people are coming forward to help," Hayes added.