A month after a Montgomery County, Maryland, women’s shelter caught fire, the Interfaith Works Women’s Center on Crabbs Branch Way reopened Wednesday, welcoming 37 women back home.
“We did not foresee … that something like this would happen,” said N’Jeri Henry, Interfaith Works deputy director of emergency shelters. “We actually were really excited about having some volunteers to come over to provide some barbecue meals, for the spirit of Fourth of July. However, I got a phone call around 10:30 informing me that, yeah, there’s been a fire.”
Henry said once she saw the damage, she was worried about the women who would need a place to stay and receive meals. Immediately, several county agencies and the Red Cross stepped in to help move the women to a temporary space. But there’s nothing like their Derwood, Maryland, home.
“I know this is, like, the worst thing that could possibly happen,” Henry recounted conversations with some of the residents. But she also reminded them that, “although it’s bad right now, things will smooth out as time goes on, right? And to not just fixate on where we’re currently at right now. We have a plan in motion.”
Little did Henry know just how much the community would come together to get them back on their feet. With a lot of restoration and cleanup that needed to be done, the staff didn’t know how long it would take to reopen the facility. But with the help of more than 300 donors and $80,000, which was raised in just a month, the shelter is back in action, featuring new additions such as more furniture.
There’s little trace of the damage caused by the fire.
“It doesn’t smell like smoke. It’s nice and fresh and airy,” Henry said. “Flooring has been taken care of. … The roofing has been changed out.”
However, Henry said it’s things such as meals, toiletry items and heartwarming messages from the community that reminds the nonprofit and the women they’re not alone.
“You often hear individuals say the world has changed. People are not really caring for other people,” Henry said. “And that’s so untrue, because we witnessed it personally. The support from the community — we didn’t even foresee that the support would be as much as it was, but we’re so thankful for it. And it was really great for our ladies to see that.”
Interfaith Works also invites people to spend their time volunteering, donating food and learning more about their agency.
More information is available online.
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