Survivors of Terrace Apartment fire find more help at Red Cross resource center: "It's a wonderful resource"
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Many survivors of a devastating apartment fire earlier this month are still living in a shelter, but several organizations stepped up to offer help all in one place on Wednesday.
"This is great. Most people should come out to it," Rhonda Tate-Frost said.
Tate-Frost is feeling upbeat, even after being forced out of her home at the Terrace Apartments in West Philadelphia. The building caught fire Sunday, May 5, displacing more than 100 people. Tate-Frost came to Victory Christian Center in Southwest Philadelphia, looking for more help, and she found it.
"Philabundance is in there. Great," she said. "They give out gift cards."
She said she found more than just help meeting her basic needs.
"They also have councilwomen in there, and they also have people who will help with legal matters. So, I got some great legal advice," Tate-Frost said.
The American Red Cross brought all the resources under one roof. Agency communications manager Alana Mauger said it was critical that this be a one-stop shop for survivors.
"Our mission is to alleviate human suffering, wherever that takes place, and we understand that these residents have been through so much this month and these past few weeks," Mauger said.
The help did not end there. The Red Cross would provide more case workers as needs continue to grow for people like Tate-Frost, who encouraged anyone in need to reach out for help.
"It's a wonderful resource. It really is," Tate-Frost said.
City officials said the owners of the apartment building still have a lot of repairs to make, so there was no date yet on when residents can move back into the building.
