The Wickliffe community came together over the holiday season to support the four families displaced from their homes by a recent residential fire. On Dec. 22, multiple Lake and Cuyahoga county fire departments, and the Wickliffe Police Department responded to a second-floor fire in a five-suite apa rtment building at 29522 Euclid Ave., according to a Dec. 23 Wickliffe Division of Fire news release. As a result, four families were displaced and assisted by the Red Cross. There were no injuries. Related Articles Wickliffe residential fire displaces families Since the fire, the Wickliffe City Schools Family Resource Center raised more than $9,000 in monetary donations in addition to gift cards and essential supplies, including clothing, hygiene items and household goods. Donations were then distributed evenly among the four families, leaving them each $1,000 to assist with a future security deposit or down payment as they work toward stable housing. “One of the things that drew me to Wickliffe was the tight-knit spirit and the deep sense of community pride,” said Wickliffe Schools Superintendent Mike Chokshi. “This was clearly on display as the Wickliffe community came together to support families displaced from their homes by a fire.” Through the Family Resource Center and the Wickliffe PTO, residents donated money, clothing and essential items, ensuring the families impacted had the necessities they needed during this difficult time, Chokshi said. “This is just another reminder that Wickliffe stands together when times are tough,” he said. “It makes me proud to be part of this community.” Wickliffe PTO President Sara Omlor recalls the evening the fire took place. “I was heading home and had just turned onto Euclid Avenue,” she said. “I noticed all of the flashing lights and huge flames shooting out of the upstairs window of the apartment building. I couldn’t imagine such a loss, especially around the holidays. After finding out that four families were affected and two of them have children who attend Wickliffe Schools, I felt compelled to find a way to help.” Omlor turned to Facebook to see if her friends would be willing to donate to the families. “I had a handful of people immediately ready to help and one of those friends mentioned working with Katelynn (Gurbach) through the Family Resource Center,” she said. Knowing Gurbach, Family Resource Center program coordinator, and all that she does for the community through programming at the center, Omlor knew that she would be able to “work her magic” and help in a bigger way, she said. “Shortly after posting on my page, Katelynn commented saying that things were in motion,” Omlor said. “That’s who Katelynn is. She sees a need and jumps in to help. She and I connected, and she shared that she and Chokshi were in contact with the families.” One of the issues Gurbach and Omlor found was that having the center collect money through the donation account they have would require school board approval to release funding, but the next school board meeting wasn’t until Jan. 8. “The families couldn’t wait that long for help, so I suggested using the PTO’s Venmo account to collect the funds,” Omlor said. “The PTO was completely on board with the idea and we put out our QR code. Donations began rolling in so fast and we were so struck by the generosity of people.” With the money raised, the resource center was able to help each family with a security deposit on a new residence and the treasurer was able to purchase gift cards for gas, groceries and other needs. “Although involved, I can’t take the credit,” Omlor said. “Chokshi jumped in to help, Katelynn did the majority of the ground work, including coming in on her days off, Christmas Eve included, to collect items that the community dropped off. The PTO treasurer monitored the funding coming in, procured the gift cards and distributed the money as needed. It was truly a group effort and I’m so thankful for the generosity of so many people that allowed us to even be a part of the blessings that were bestowed upon the families.” For monetary donations going forward, visit https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/wickliffe-family-fire-fund. ...read more read less