IGNITE Resource Center spearheads relief aid for 8 families displaced by tragic by College Park fire
COLLEGE PARK, Ga. – Until about a month ago, the residents who resided at 1555 Harvard Avenue in College Park, had called the beige two-story apartment building home.
With only one exception, every occupant of the modest two-story structure which was located mere walking distance from the College Park City Hall, between Madison and Myrtle Streets on Harvard Avenue had lived there between five to eight years, on average.
That was until the fateful night of January 17th, 2021 when a pair of fires tragically gutted the 10-unit apartment complex, destroying nearly every possession its inhabitants owned.
https://vimeo.com/513650189
“This is what we’re here for. Our mission is to assist those persons that are going through a difficult time in their life to help get them to the resources that they need,” states IGNITE College Park Resource Center Executive Director, Jamelle Mckenzie.
“I just want to say that we live in the greatest community. The response from East Point and College Park citizens has been overwhelming.”
At the behest of College Park Councilmember Ken Allen — Ward III, the College Park-based non-profit began collaborating with the Red Cross to identify the most immediate needs for the fire victims such as food, clothing, and money.
IGNITE also sprung into action procuring more long-term necessities like relocation, clothing, funds for new apartment deposits, and of course, food and water.
The eight families that called the Harvard Ave. Apartments, as they were known by, their home were comprised of retirees, entrepreneurs, and no less than four U.S. Military veterans.
One of those residents, veteran and surgical tech, Reginald Lewis tells Vox Pop ATL, he feels that the College Park Fire Department was remiss in their duties to the point of negligence on the night of the fire.
“We all had been here five, six, seven, eight years apiece,” complained Lewis, a six-year resident of Harvard Ave. Apts.
“This was our livelihood. This was our home, and we got burned out of it after we were told that the fire was put out.”
Lewis is referring to the second fire that night at Harvard Ave. Apts., the one that ultimately ended up destroying the remainder of the complex four hours after the initial fire.
According to an official report released by CPFD to Harvard Ave. fire victims, the cause of the fire is still listed as ‘under investigation.’
When asked how did she feel about the response from the local community, IGNITE Resource Center Officer Manager, Rose Stewart had this to share:
“My biggest takeaway has been that we have people who love our community. In order for them to love our community, you have to love our citizens,” said Stewart. “This is just the beginning of what we’re going to be doing for College Park.”
Nearly a month after the devasting blaze, the IGNITE Resource Center is continuing to receive donations from the community for the displaced families. In-person donations can be delivered to their donation center located at 2451 Main St between 1 pm and 3 pm.
For more information about the IGNITE College Park Resource Center, visit their website, and for more information about online donations for the Harvard Ave fire victims, click here.
For all the news that’s fit to click? Visit the Vox Pop ATL website and subscribe for news updates on Facebook.
City officials, non-profits, and local charter school help to celebrate the memory of student with ‘Buddy Bench’, balloon memorial, and new mural.
EAST POINT, Ga. — On the evening of Friday, November 6th, 2020, 11-year-old Ty’Rell Simms was headed home from his grandmother’s house with a friend. Tragically, he never made it — but his story and his legacy do not end there.
Victim of a drive-by shooting that had absolutely nothing to do with him, Simms left behind a grieving family struggling to cope with their senseless loss and a community left without their classmate, teammate, and friend.
Known for his natural athleticism, generous spirit, warm smile, and overall good nature, Simms touched the lives of many in the Tri-Cities in his brief eleven years.
During the unpleasant undertaking of finding ways to commemorate Simm’s life, his fellow scholars at KIPP South Fulton Academy(KSFA) envisioned ways to commemorate his life.
The Beta Club at KIPP Academy, where Simms had just begun his fifth-grade school year under pandemic distance learning approached the faculty and staff about a ‘Buddy Bench.’
The ‘Buddy Bench project’ is a relatively new initiative where plastic bottle caps and recyclable plastic items are repurposed into a functional memorial or ‘buddy bench’ in someone’s memory.
“Our Beta Club scholars came to us wanting to find an outlet for celebration, for grief or just having a way to feel afterward,” recalls KSFA Literacy Coach, Kathryn McClinton.
“They came up with the ‘buddy bench’ idea so we could collect caps in his honor and create a bench where people could actually come and sit, and remember him while also forming bonds with other people.”
The goal of the daunting task of gathering 400-lb of plastics through donations, both local and abroad to create Simms’ memorial bench.
The cap collection process was spearheaded by a fellow athlete and community youth leader, CJ Matthews. While Matthews did not know Simms personally, he was so moved by the news of his passing, he felt compelled to contribute somehow.
Family-friend and local pastor, Ray Waters solemnly recounts to Vox Pop All, the morning he received the call with the heart-breaking news of Ty’rell’s passing.
“It’s five minutes before church, and I’m thinking about what I’m going to talk about, and I get a call, and it is from Conrad’s (Ty’Rell’s father), brother. Scooter told me that Ty’Rell had been shot the night before and had died,” laments the Village Church pastor to Vox Pop ATL.
“My whole life as a pastor, I’ve been called and told that something tragic that had happened — but nothing like that.”
Wholesome Wave Georgia and Food Well Alliance partner-up to expand SNAP benefits with ‘Georgia Plant 2 Plate’ program
EAST ATLANTA, Ga. — Although general concerns regarding the pandemic have seemed to greatly diminish, the needs of families still dealing with economic hardships and food insecurity have not.
The Georgia Plant 2 Plate program was launched shortly after the pandemic shutdowns in April 2020 to ensure that SNAP recipients had reliable food access by offering 50% off fresh, healthy, and locally grown food.
https://vimeo.com/544003441
For 2021, the Plant 2 Plate program has expanded SNAP benefits to include 50% off local fruit and vegetable plant seedlings or ’starts’ to families paying with their EBT cards.
Along with the purchase of fruit and vegetable starter plants, a free gardening kit including pots, soil, gloves, trowels, and plant care guides were provided to SNAP recipients.
Working in partnership with the Georgia Fresh For Less program at Wholesome Wave Georgia, Food Well Alliance hosted a Georgia Plant 2 Plate pop-up just in time for Earth Day on Thursday, April 22, 2021, at East Atlanta Village Farmers Market located at Stokeswood Avenue SE, Atlanta, GA 30316.
To date, Georgia Plant 2 Plate has hosted pop-up events at:
For more information about the 2021 Georgia Plant 2 Plate program, you can visit their website, and learn more about other programs involving the Food Well Alliance, click here.
For all the news that’s fit to click? Visit the Vox Pop ATL website and subscribe for news updates on Facebook.
The College Park-based community outreach organization has partnered with four local schools in the Tri-Cities area to provide the students and faculty with PPE (Personal Protection Equipment).
This initiative has been taking place since the beginning of the 2021 school year according to Jamelle McKenzie, Executive Director for IGNITE College Park Resource Center.
https://vimeo.com/542381473
“We have adopted for schools in the Tri-Cities area, and one of the things we like to do is to provide these schools with the necessary PPE that they need,” Mckenzie tells Vox Pop ATL.
“So, today we actually visited College Park Elementary School and Woodland Middle School, and delivered approximately 5000 face-masks that can be used for students, their families, and the faculty.”
With the number of in-person teaching increasing this year, the need for PPE has definitely increased for the scholars and their teachers.
IGNITE Resource Centerdelivered 2,500 face masks to Woodland Middle School and 1,500 to College Park Elementary School.
“Something as simple as masks you would not think would make such a huge impact, but it definitely has here at Woodland Middle,” shares the Woodland Middle School principal.
When asked how did she feel about the face-mask donations and continued support from IGNITE Resource Center, College Park Elementary School principal, Dr. Maisha Otway had this to add:
“Some people think that everyone has masks and that’s not true. We have them until we don’t,” affirms Dr. Otway. “So, on delivery like this is, it’s phenomenal and these are just so awesome and colorful and cute. We love that, too.”
For more information about the IGNITE College Park Resource Center, visit their website.
For all the news that’s fit to click? Visit the Vox Pop ATL website and subscribe for news updates on Facebook.