Thousands raised for those affected by DTES fire in Vancouver
Posted July 8, 2022 12:40 pm.
Last Updated July 8, 2022 12:41 pm.
A fundraiser to support those affected by a fire on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside this week has raised thousands of dollars in just one day.
As of noon Friday, the GoFundMe campaign had raised more than $7,000.
The fire gutted a community church as well as the neighbouring building, which was an art gallery and collaborative space. Organizers of the fundraiser say the blaze “left many Downtown Eastside community members, artists, residents, and businesses in a tough spot.”
“One artist lost his entire body of work that was going to be used for an upcoming show, as well as the supplies and other pieces,” the GoFundMe page reads in part, adding, “another community member lost their custom built furniture as well as a few thousand in power tools and materials.”
“Many of the folks who used these spaces did not have insurance to cover their belongings in their spaces. This is a terrible loss for many of us since this was a great space for shows, and community based initiatives,” organizers write.
Read more: Fire destroys Street Church on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside
The fire, which broke out late Wednesday in the area of East Hastings and Main Street, tearing through the Street Church building and the neighbouring one, also forced dozens of people out of a social housing complex.
The cause of the fire remains unclear.
Organizers of the fundraiser say the money raised will be “divided up between those who lost their belonging in the building.”
With files from Andrew Cowie, Mike Lloyd, and Claire Fenton
