Some residents lost all of their possessions when fire destroyed an apartment building at 50 Chestnut St.
WARE – Friends and relatives of those left homeless by a March 8 fire at 50 Chestnut St. are raising funds to help them and will have a benefit dinner at the Knights of Columbus Saturday, March 26.
The fire destroyed the three-story wooden apartment house which was home to 16 people, all adults.
“It was really heartbreaking,” said Tia Benoit, one of the residents.
“It was very eerie and overwhelming,” Benoit said.
Some of the residents lost all of their possessions in the fire.
“Some have nothing but their cell phones and the clothes they were wearing,” Benoit said.
Contents of three of the apartments were salvageable but most of what was in the other apartments was destroyed or ruined, Benoit said.
She was able to retrieve a few items from her apartment but most of the contents were destroyed when the roof collapsed, Benoit said.
The March 26 benefit at the Knights of Columbus hall will start at 2 p.m. and a spaghetti dinner will be served at 5 p.m.
Tickets cost $10 and may be purchased by calling Benoit’s mother, Tammy Sears, at (413) 233-6109, or Benoit at (413) 813-7637.
Benoit said there will be a bake sale in conjunction with the benefit event, and people who do not want to stay for the dinner may stop by any time after 2 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus, 126 West Main St.