Supporting Woodman Families

Since the tragic explosion and fire on Woodman Ave that displaced several families, the support from Londoners has been overwhelming. Londoners, as individuals, businesses and organizations, have been donating cash, goods and services at an incredible pace. We are so proud of our neighbours and our fellow Londoners for all of the support that they continue to show for our community.

We want to thank everyone who has contributed so far, as well as the people and organizations who have helped to receive and organize the donations. Your outstanding generosity is remarkable and greatly appreciated.

The families directly impacted by the explosion, especially those who are still displaced from their homes, need our help now and over the days and weeks to come. The OEVCA is working closely with multiple community partners to streamline the support for families, aiming to make it as simple as possible for families to access the support they need – while also providing fairness and transparency in how donations are allocated.

Everyone wants to see families receive the support they need as quickly as possible. We are currently in the process of connecting with the families still displaced from their homes in order to provide immediate financial support. As such, the OEVCA is in the process of coordinating those efforts so that short-term and long-term needs are met by those who require it most.

In an effort to make this process as simple as possible for the families, we are asking for the support of OEVers and Londoners to help us coordinate this effort:

• Please direct any donated funds to the Woodman Families Fund at Libro. You can contribute to this fund by visiting any London Libro branch, or by donating online to Life*Spin through Canada Helps. Charitable receipts will be issued by Life*Spin. Donating through this centralized fund ensures that all donations are tracked, and we can fully account for how funds which have been so generously provided are put to use.
• All immediate needs for goods (clothing, furniture, etc.) have been generously met thanks to the incredible response from the community. Individuals wishing to donate goods are encouraged to consider giving to other organizations in the neighbourhood such as Mission Services or Life*Spin, where they can be distributed to others who are also in need.
• We are actively reaching out to families still displaced from their homes to ensure that their immediate needs are met, and to seek input on how the donated funds can be properly distributed to address medium and long term needs. If you would like to provide input, please contact us at woodmanfund@oevca.ca.

We have never been more proud to be a part of the Old East Village community. The outpouring of support over the past six days from across London and beyond has been remarkable and inspiring. Thank you to everyone who has contributed in both big and small ways. We could never hope to properly express the gratitude we are all feeling for the generosity shown to the residents of Old East Village.

As we continue along this difficult path of rebuilding, we will endeavour to communicate all of the progress that is being made, and continue to offer any and all supports at our disposal to those affected by this disaster, until our community is once again made whole.