Victims supported
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A Yellowknife woman wasted no time springing into action to help the tenants of the Polaris apartment building after they lost everything to fire over the weekend.
Cynthia Grandjambe, left, gives Polaris apartment tenant Kelsie Auger a shoulder to lean on after Auger's apartment was destroyed by fire over the weekend. - John McFadden/NNSL photo
To donate items for victims
Cynthia Grandjambe: 867-688-1471
Trudy Thrasher: 867-445-5196
Furniture donations can be dropped off at 4904 54 Ave. between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. |
Cynthia Grandjambe said she took to social media right after she heard about the fire in order to start the effort to help the victims.
"I'm doing this on my own because I had a lot of friends in that building who lost everything and they came right over to me and just cried," Grandjambe said. "I knew I had to do something so that's why right away I got onto Facebook and starting getting in touch with people, including the boss at Northern Property who was handling everything."
Grandjambe was meeting with tenants one-by-one as they showed up for a meeting with Northern Property representatives Monday morning at the rental company's office in the Bowling Green building downtown.
"I'm getting all their sizes for everything they need. What they desperately need is socks and underwear," she said. "YWCA stepped up and they have a lot of furniture and they are going to let people go in there and pick out what they want."
Grandjambe said her heart goes out to the victims and she is just trying to do what she hopes everyone would do.
"We're trying to make this as painless as possible for them. It's bad enough that they have been traumatized," she said. "What I am doing is making sure that as they move into a new unit, the furniture moves in with them so they don't move into an empty unit."
A lot of the tenants have already picked up provisions, Grandjambe said.
"Right now I'm taking care of all their personal needs. A lot of them have already picked up clothes, diapers all the things they need."
An emotional Kelsie Auger lives in the second floor unit, right below the unit where she believes the fire started. She was meeting with Grandjambe to find out how she could get help.
"I'm sorry I just don't know what to do," said a tearful Auger who was at home when the fire broke out, adding she has lost everything.
Meanwhile, Northern Property and the city put out an advisory late yesterday afternoon appealing for furniture for the fire victims. People can drop off donations at Rockhill apartments Monday to Friday.
