UPDATE: We raised $1,294 for the Disaster Relief Fund. Did you know that this donation is not tax deductible - it's just about being a good person without expecting anything in return? Way to go, Maker Community!
On January 14, 2019 a four-alarm fire occurred at 6 Hunting Street and 851 Cambridge Street in Cambridge.
In total, 12 engines, seven ladders, two squads, one rescue, and numerous chief officers and support units were on scene. No serious injuries were reported, with only minor injuries reported due to falls on the ice. 22 people were displaced by the fire.
The building is a total loss and damages are estimated at $5 million dollars. The morning of the fire, the City of Cambridge opened a shelter for impacted residents and neighbors at the Frisoli Youth Center. The Mayor’s Disaster Relief Fund provided displaced residents with $600 per person with a max of $2400 per unit. Checks totaling $11,400 from the Disaster Relief Fund were made available to those affected by the very next day. But that doesn't nearly cover the loss of everything and we could do more.
On Saturday, February 2, 2019, area restaurants, bars, and breweries hosted a fire fundraiser event with funds benefiting the fund. We hope that through the generosity of our creative community we can add to those fundraising efforts. The city itself is not allowed by law to issue money to individuals. “This all has to come from private contributions,” Mayor McGovern said to Cambridge Day in an article from January 17, 2019. “The relief fund is financial – we’re not asking for any physical items, we don’t want clothing or anything like that. We have found, and what the Red Cross advised us two years ago when we went through this with the Berkshire Street fire, is that the best thing is to raise money and give families financial support so they can use that as they see fit,” McGovern said.
*In January 2017 we launched our We Care Wednesday initiative. By donating 5% of our sales each Wednesday, we were able to raise $9,000 for Greater Boston non-profits in 2017. In 2018 we raised $11,000 for Greater Boston non-profits. This kind of targeted weekly giving is just another way we can focus our community-based business on doing good in all the ways we can. We are proud to continue this initiative in 2019.*