21 People in 6 Families Assisted in Aftermath of Apartment Complex Fire

Just hours after a fire broke out on a balcony at the Newport Commons apartment complex around 5 p.m. on Friday in Lititz, the American Red Cross arrived to assist those impacted by the blaze and the efforts to extinguish it.

“As of this afternoon, we are helping 21 people who were displaced by the fire,” said Dan Tobin, Director of Marketing and Communications for the American Red Cross, Central Pennsylvania chapter on Saturday afternoon. “Those 21 people comprise six different families.”

According to Tobin, two Red Cross disaster response teams were dispatched immediately to Lititz, where they set up operations in the community center on the Newport Commons property to meet with those who suffered losses in the fire.

“The assistance is different depending on the individual and the family,” said Tobin. “There are some people that we’re providing shelter for, some had temporary shelter that they were able to get but they needed cots, so we supplied that. Some were provided meals in the form of a pre-loaded debit card that could be used to buy groceries or eat at a restaurant.

The Red Cross assistance to the families will extend beyond just the initial help offered Friday night.

“We have case workers that will follow up with them in the next few days to see if any additional assistance that’s needed, said Tobin. “We’re there to follow up to make sure that everyone gets back on their feet.”

“We have a real committed team of individuals that are available 24/7. These people go out in all kinds of weather no matter what to help anybody in need. It’s just wonderful to see the impact they have on people’s lives.”

All services that the Red Cross provides to people at times of disaster are given free of charge, and are supported by donations. The Red Cross does not accept donations earmarked for particular families, so to support to victims of the Newport Commons fire, email your contact information to [email protected]. Your information will be passed on to the families so you can assist them directly. Donations to the general fund of the Red Cross can be made here.

**Please Donate NOW via PayPal to support continued publication of LititzDailyNews.com, the independent source for local news. Your contribution is not tax deductible, as we are not a 503(c) non-profit. In order to keep publishing, we need your financial support.

FREE: Subscribe to LititzDailyNews.com to receive stories by email to your inbox. LIKE the LititzDailyNews.com Facebook page. Follow LititzDailyNews.com on Twitter and on @LititzDailyNews on Instagram, where you can tag us in your photos for possible publication.

Lynn Rebuck Editor@LititzDaily.comLynn Rebuck solo-publishes LititzDailyNews.com, the multi-award-winning, independent digital news site. An innovator in digital publishing, Lynn publishes out of her passion for Lititz and her desire to meet the demand for local digital news. Submit stories and photos to [email protected].