WATCH: The Durham community is banding together to help victims of the devastating fire. Marianne Dimain has the story.
TORONTO – The massive fire that destroyed homes and scared Whitby’s downtown core Friday morning has left many with next to nothing.
Jared Hood and his girlfriend Chelsea Goss still don’t know where they will stay Monday night.
“We’re just taking it day by day,” said Hood.
Both had recently moved into the area and were beginning to find a sense of routine after a stressful move from two separate cities before the fire.
“It’s been a little rough for me. I’ve got school and work, and we both had shifts the next day. It was a stat holiday so if you don’t go, you don’t get paid,” said Hood.
Money is something he and his girlfriend need now more than ever. “We both had to suck it up and go to work with no sleep. It was pretty rough.”
Hood is in his fourth year of university at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. He lost almost everything he owns, and what survived may not be salvageable.
“There’s talk that there was asbestos in the building so that’s in our stuff too,” he explained.
Within days of the massive fire that ripped through Whitby’s downtown core near the corner of Brock and Dundas community members have offered donations and money to help the survivors rebuild.
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Durham Civitan, a non-profit organization that encourages citizens to help each other in times of distress, says it has received a flood of goodwill.
“Right now we have three private drop off locations: we’ve got one in Whitby Shores, one in north Whitby, as well as one in Brooklyn,” said Melissa Halparin, president-elect of the organization.
Hood’s girlfriend, Chelsea Goss, works at a local restaurant and says customers have been offering their support as well.
“My regular customers at work have been so helpful, offering us a place to stay, offering us clothes. I had an old lady bring me two huge bags of clothes she was going to donate,” said Goss.
Co-workers have also set up a GoFundMe account that’s already raised over $1,000.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
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