Welcome Back IW Women’s Center at Crabbs Branch
We are so pleased to announce that more than 30 clients displaced by an electrical fire have returned back to our Crabbs Branch Women’s Center!
Midday on the 4th of July, an electrical fire broke out at the IW Women's Center at Crabbs Branch in Derwood. Thanks to the quick response of our staff and Montgomery County Fire & Rescue, there were no injuries, but 35 women and 16 staff were displaced. The women were safely sheltered in an offsite location while the damage was cleaned up and the building was repaired.
The Women’s Center at Crabbs Branch is now cleaned, repaired and move-in ready. SERVPRO of Rockville assisted with the initial cleanup, and our partners at the Montgomery County Department of General Services worked hard to ensure all damage was repaired and the structure is safe for our clients to move back in. Montgomery County Services to End and Prevent Homelessness (SEPH) provided our staff with significant support, assisting with transportation and securing additional showers and laundry facilities for clients to use at the temporary shelter location. SEPH also facilitated collaboration with the Red Cross who provided cots and bedding items, as well as three days of meals immediately after the fire. We are grateful to all the partners who assisted in sheltering our clients, and their efforts in expediting the cleanup, repair, and moving process.
Interfaith Works has received an astounding amount of support from you, the community. Since the day of the fire, over 300 people have provided above $80,000 in donations, and many others have provided in-kind donations through our Amazon wish list. Because the temporary shelter location did not have a full kitchen, this community has supported our clients by donating every meal, every day for the past month. Countless community members and groups have donated laundry detergent, toiletry items, snacks, and other essentials to our clients. We are grateful to belong to a community that gives so much support, care, and love to their neighbors. In addition to the immense amount of physical and monetary donations, the messages and notes of encouragement left for our staff and clients have meant more than we could ever possibly say. Thank you to everyone who has donated and thank you to everyone who has shared this story and connected us to more neighbors who care.
We are grateful to the public, our partnering agencies, the media, and our donors for their work to ensure the safety and care of our clients during this traumatic time. From the entire Interfaith Works community, thank you!