TLC, community step up for displaced residents

Fire impacted apartments above adjacent buildings

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Editor

With as many people as there were worried about the effect on businesses following Saturday night’s five-alarm fire at the Schuette Daniels Furniture store, it could be easy to overlook the human aspect.

Cristen Chaffee of The Transitional Living Center won’t let that happen.

The director of TLC sent out a Facebook notification Monday letting people know that help was needed.

“The Schuette Daniels Furniture store fire on Sunday night has displaced five families from nearby apartments,” Chaffee wrote. “Love, Inc. will be available to help them with food, clothing, and furniture.

“Please consider making a donation of items or cash for these families. Call Love, Inc. at 763-6226 or send your donation to Love, Inc. Schuette Fire, 480 S. Pine Street. Burlington WI 53105.”

Chaffee said Monday by email that the organization had been contacted to provide help for those families.

“We have made contact with the landlords and (are) looking at times of when apartments could be ready for families to re-enter,” Chaffee said. “These are landlords that TLC has a good working relationship with.”

Right now, families have been staying at the AmercInn on vouchers provided by the American Red Cross. They were allowed to stay there until Wednesday.

Chaffee said two of the families could be placed at the Morrow House – a family homeless shelter in town – and some others would be housed at TLC. She added that the organization would also fund further time at AmericInn as needed.