Worcester May Create Disaster Relief Fund With Nonprofit Partner

WORCESTER, MA — From an apartment fire that left four people dead to a roof collapse to a fatal shooting, Worcester residents have experienced a range of disasters just over the last year — and those have exposed gaps in how disaster victims receive assistance.

Worcester emergency management director Charles Goodwin gave a presentation to the council's public safety committee Thursday detailing how the city might create a new fund to help disaster victims. The idea came after a roof collapse in 2022 along Mill Street left about 100 people homeless.

In the wake of Mill Street, District 5 Councilor Etel Haxhiaj asked officials to explore creating a disaster relief fund. After the roof collapse, the residents were left with no assistance because of the nature of the disaster. The Red Cross could not provide help because the apartment building residents were not fire victims.

The state took the rare step of renting space for the Mill Street residents in a hotel, sheltering them there until they could find new homes. The Mill Street apartment building was condemned and uninhabitable due to the roof damage.

In a report to councilors, Goodwin detailed local disaster funds kept by communities including Cambridge, Lincoln, Melrose and Fitchburg. He recommended Worcester pursues a partnership with a nonprofit to administer a citizen-supported fund to aid disaster victims. A nonprofit would be best, he said, because the money could be distributed quicker than if the city held the money due to "red tape."

According to Goodwin's report, Cambridge's disaster relief fund is supported by citizen donations. Disaster victims apply for assistance through Cambridge human resources department. Victims can get a maximum of $600 per person for families up to four after the trust fund's board of trustees approves the relief.

Although the Red Cross provides help to citizens displaced by fires, there are other disasters the nonprofit doesn't cover. At-Large Councilor Kate Toomey described how the fatal 2022 shooting of Felicia Obeng along Cambridge Street displaced her family due to their home being a crime scene — and the site of a horrific tragedy for Obeng's family. And earlier this month, two business owners lost their livelihoods after a fire along Pleasant Street, and had to turn to GoFundMe for help.

Maria Ravelli, a volunteer with Worcester Community Fridges, said she saw gaps in food assistance after the Thanksgiving fire at Plumley Village. She said resources were available for about 72 hours after the fire, but then began to taper off.

Resident Louise Burrell told councilors she and her family were displaced by a fire in August, and was offered a gift card for either food or shelter. She said she ended up spending $20,000 out of her savings to stay in a local hotel.

Goodwin will report back to the public safety committee about the new disaster fund later this summer. Haxhiaj suggested kicking off the fund with a telethon or another community-wide event.