Donors Lend Assistance at Time of Need
By Josh Krysak, Herald-Standard
12.23.2007
With the help of several charity organizations, local churches, family and friends, 23 families displaced by an apartment fire Dec. 7 are receiving help getting by this holiday season as they wait to move back into their homes.
On Tuesday, two of the families who live at the Harris Garden Apartments in North Union Township got a something extra when they were given Christmas trees through the United Way and donated by Target in South Union Township.
The tree donations are an annual tradition at Target, according to manager Keith Bailey, and were given to the families after prompting by the Laurel Highlands School District and the United Way.
Josie Konopa, who is the apartment manager at Harris Gardens, said she has lived at the building for 31 years and said it has been tough not being home during the holidays.
Her husband, Craig Konopa, said, "We are living with family right now ... we don't know what the status of our stuff is and we won't be able to get back into the building until after the new year. This is just a bad time of year for something like this," he said.
Steve and Amanda Meyokovich said they too are looking forward to getting back to a normal schedule when the restoration at the building is completed.
"Right now, we are moving between our parents' homes," Amanda Meyokovich said. "But really the support has been overwhelming from everybody. People are donating whatever they can. We had someone we never even met give us a gift card when they learned about the fire. It has been amazing."
According to Josie Konopa, restoration work is under way at the complex.
Officials are hopeful that tenants can return to their homes next month.
Both families said they have not been able to salvage much from the fire.
The fire broke out at 7:50 p.m. at the apartment building on Brushwood Road, with firefighters from North Union, West Leisenring, Hopwood, Uniontown, Morrell and Dunbar responding to the scene, along with crews from Fayette EMS, Uniontown Fireman's EMS, American Ambulance, Fayette County Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross.
Firefighters had to rescue three people with a ladder who were trapped on the third floor.
Eight people suffered injuries.
Officials said the three-story building sustained heavy smoke damage on the third floor, fire and smoke damage on the second floor and fire damage on the first floor.
The state police fire marshal is still investigating the cause of the blaze but tenants reported that it appeared a space heater in a second-floor bedroom ignited the fire.
The American Red Cross said it has helped provide aid to 18 of those families since the fire.
"Twenty-three families displaced from an apartment building in one night is a pretty significant disaster in size, especially in a small town like this," said Steve Noe, Red Cross service delivery director in Fayette County. "The Red Cross was able to step in and provide financial assistance for food, clothing and shelter for the victims."
