By The Simple Way
Last week, a fire devastated a neighborhood in Philadelphia where our Christian brothers and sisters at the Simple Way faith community have made their home. They are beginning to put the pieces of their lives back together again. Read below an excerpt from their website and see how you can help:
At around 3am on June 20 community members of the Simple Way 3200 house awoke to the sound, heat and flames of the warehouse across the street. Residents on Potter Street were all evacuated safely. By morning, it was a seven-alarm fire that consumed at least eight of the houses in the neighborhood, including the Simple Way’s 3200 Potter Street house.
Over 100 people were evacuated from their homes, and 400 families are currently without power. Despite this tragedy, we are incredibly thankful to share that all of our community members and every one of our neighbors is safely out of harms way.
This fire will forever change the fabric of our community. Eight families are currently homeless, and in many cases have lost their vehicles as well as their homes. One of our neighbors, the Mahaias Family, lost their three cars as well as the equipment one family member uses for her massage therapy business.
Teenager Brian Mahaias is devastated not because he has lost his belongings, but because he fears that this fire will force him to move away from this neighborhood that is his family as well as his home.
The Simple Way has lost a community center that was home to our Yes! And afterschool program, community arts center, and Cottage Printworks t-shirt micro-business as well as to two of our community members.
Community members Shane Claiborne and Jesce Walz have lost all of their belongings, Yes!Ands after school studio and library were ruined, and community member Justin Donners Cottage Printworks equipment and t-shirts were destroyed.
We are thankful that we are able to help each other during this time of need, and we will continue to keep your informed about todays events. We have established funds to support the families who have lost their homes, the Yes! And afterschool program, and the Simple Way community.
These funds have been established through a partner organization, EAPE. Tax-deductible donations can be made at http://tonycampolo.org/simpleway_donation.php. Please make sure to designate TSW-Kensington Families Fund or TSW-Rebuilding Fund.
The Simple Way was founded by Shane Claiborne, Jamie Moffett, and other ordinary radicals who seek to “love God, love others, follow Jesus.”