News Release: Juen 1, 2010 Contact: Elizabeth Witte, Communications Director/Tourism (724-852-5210)
WAYNESBURG, PA — Sixteen former residents of the Avalon Court apartment building in Waynesburg have been relocated to other housing, six weeks after a fire seriously damaged the building and claimed the lives of two women.
By mid-June, four more residents are expected to be housed, bringing the total number of relocated residents to 20. Officials are actively seeking housing for the 23 other Avalon Court residents who were displaced following the April 22 fire.
As residents relocate, the Greene County Housing Authority, which owned and operated Avalon Court, will buy blankets, sheets, pillows and bed frames using the money that was donated to a fund for the fire victims. The housing authority is also distributing mattresses and box springs that were provided by the Red Cross.
Community Action Southwest is distributing household items and cleaning supplies collected through a drive at the Waynesburg Wal-Mart, and the Salvation Army Greene County Service Center is providing 22 kitchen items for each resident. Through donations from the community, the center is able to give every resident items ranging from pots and pans to dishware, crockpots, toasters and salt and pepper shakers.
In addition to the residents, the Greene County Housing Authority was also displaced from its main office on the first floor of Avalon Court. In the next few weeks, the housing authority will relocate to the former Movie Gallery site in Widewaters Commons, 55 Sugar Run Rd., Waynesburg.
Donations are still being accepted to assist the victims through a fund at Community Bank. Checks may be made payable to “Avalon Court Fire Victims Fund,” or the Greene County Housing Authority. Monetary donations will be accepted at any Community Bank branch or at the housing authority’s temporary office at the Grandview Drive housing complex in Waynesburg. They may also be mailed to the Housing Authority of the County of Greene, P.O. Box 791, Waynesburg, PA 15370. For more information, call 724-627-6523. Former Avalon Court resident Samantha Brown was recently reunited with her cat, Cuddles, after the animal was found alive two weeks after the April 22 apartment building fire. “I don’t know how she survived,” said Brown, who thought she had lost Cuddles in the fire. "I was in complete shock." The two were reunited at the Super 8 motel in Waynesburg, where Brown is currently staying while she awaits permanent housing. Cuddles was given a clean bill of health.
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For general information, please contact the Information Services at 724-852-5399 / Toll Free: 1-888-852-5399. County Office Building, 93 E. High Street, Waynesburg, PA 15370
