On April 30, several families living at Chase Heritage Apartments in Sterling lost everything in a devastating fire. Many of the residents are low-wage workers with small children to care for. Recently, they received relief thanks to a few community activists who wanted to help with their hardships.
Once local community leader April Taylor was made aware that families were displaced, she immediately contacted Guilford Elementary School where these children went to school to see how she could help. Taylor is the organizer of The Catch A Meal Program, which hosts events that engage the community and brings joy to families impacted by hardships. After speaking with school officials, Taylor reached out to Washington Football Star Jimmy Moreland and NFL Hall of Famer Darrell Green who’ve been ongoing supporters and tirelessly using their resources and platform to assist those in need.
Within a week, The Catch A Meal Program rallied the Sterling community to host a surprise community relief event for the families impacted by the fire. That special event was held on May 17. With the support of Moreland and Green, the families were provided with an undisclosed amount of financial support along with an array of needed replacement items. They also generously donated to create the first ever Guilford Elementary Pantry for all of the students.
How to help
People who are interested in continuing to help the families can do so by contacting April Taylor via email at team@catchameal.org.
Donations are also being accepted at gofundme.com/f/funds-for-chase-heritage-fire-survivors. This is organized by Hannah Recht . As of May 27, the campaign had surpassed its $15,000 goal.