LAFAYETTE, Colo. — Heather Conley was out of town when her home turned to ash.
“As soon as we got in touch with neighbors we realized there was likely a chance we would return to nothing,” Conley said. Unfortunately, they were right.
Conley’s Boulder County home was one of more than 1,000 that the Marshall Fire destroyed on December 30.
Since that day, the volunteer and philanthropic response has been overwhelming. Monetary donations are in the tens of millions of dollars; the fundraiser established by the Community Foundation Boulder County, for example, has received nearly $20 million in donations.
“The community has been absolutely amazing. I keep saying we couldn’t have had our house burn down in a better area than Boulder County,” Conley said with a chuckle.
Colorado Voices
Clothes, shelter & food available for Marshall Fire victims
Some of the organizations that started fundraisers have begun distributing cash, but many Marshall Fire victims are still waiting on assistance. People like Conley have turned to assistance centers to find free meals, clothes and a place to relax.
One such place is located at the Lionsgate Event Center in Lafayette. Marshall Fire victims are able to pick up free clothes and shoes, warm meals, massages and chiropractic help. There are even free showers. The center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.
The organization Lending A Hand established the help center. Serena Overson is the founder and CEO of Lending A Hand.
“Right now, we’re actually at the situation where we don’t know what everybody needs at the moment … but I do know that we’re open to the public for whatever needs they may have,” Overson said.
Overson explained that they intend to keep the center open for two or three months. The owners of the Lionsgate Center opened their doors to Overson’s organization free of charge.
Many of the meals at the center are prepared by the Front Range Soup Brigade, a group of volunteers that is cooking and delivering soup to wildfire victims. Each soup is made by a home cook and the meals come with a home delivery and a note of well wishes.
“That just seemed like something money couldn't buy,” Tamara Quezaire said. She is the soup brigade’s main organizer.
Quezaire added that they need help from volunteers who can either cook or deliver the meals. More information is available in the brigade’s Facebook page.
“Really everybody has showed up and offered some form of support,” Conley said. “And that’s one of the things that’s keeping us going. So a big, big thank you to everybody who’s out here every single day trying to make our lives easier.”
Boulder County officials recommend wildfire victims in need of assistance with regards to records, housing, insurance and finance planning visit the Disaster Assistance Center, which is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day at 1755 South Public Road in Lafayette. More information is available here.
