Richmond Hill community rallies support for fire victims

Guyanese affected by Richmond Hill inferno which tore through a row of buildings in Queens, New York early Sunday morning, destroying at least eight homes and leaving dozens of people homeless, are still trying to recover from the massive tragedy.

According to New York media reports, the fire spread through the attached buildings located along Liberty Avenue and 110th Street. The displaced families and small business owners were directed to the neighbouring Tulsi Mandir, a Hindu religious center, located at 103-26 111st.

Several organisations in New York have so far launched various support mechanisms to help families regroup and get their lives back to some degree of normalcy.

“I’m very thankful for all the support that everyone has given. We had nothing left after the fire. All the victims that have been affected by this tragedy now have basic supplies thanks to our community coming together” said Domattie Singh, a tenant who lived with her mother, sister and stepfather at 110-12 Liberty Ave; one of the locations completely destroyed by the fire.

This newspaper understands that Indo-Caribbean Alliance, a Richmond Hill-based non-profit has set up an emergency relief fund for the victims. “We are here for our community in this time of tragedy. All proceed will be directed to the most affected families”, said Vedesh Persaud, Acting Executive Director of the organisation. The fund is available online at www.indocaribbean.org/donate.

“We were happy to help these victims in their time of need. We provided meals, a warm space and a drop-off location for supplies. Our doors are always open to help anyone and it will remain open”, said Pandit Lakhram Maharaj, Leader of the Tulsi Mandir.

Other organisations providing support include: Nirvana Humanitarian Foundation, Richmond Hill Economic Development Corporation and Operation Dreamcatchers.

Meanwhile, Bobbies Travel is among some of the businesses severely affected by the tragedy. The company has since relocated its offices to 110-09 Liberty Avenue (across the street from their old location).

In a brief comment to the media, a representative of Bobbies Travel said that inspite of this most recent setback, the company is very strong and resilient and would do everything in its power to ensure that its work continues smoothly. The representative added that its main aim is to continue offering top quality services to customers.