Strategic Partnerships with Reading Co-Operative Bank, Metro Housing Boston, The Salvation Army, Reading’s Legislative Delegation, and Locals Help Meet Needs of Residents
Reading, MA – Local fund-raising efforts have reached approximately $20,000, allowing an upcoming $500 distribution to each of the 39 units displaced by the flooding and ensuing electrical damage last July. Thanks to Reading Co-Operative Bank for their work as a great community partner, and to all of you that made donations!
Thanks also to Metro Housing Boston as the lead agency, and to the Salvation Army for nearly $50,000 in direct support for many displaced residents for housing costs during the past six weeks. Thanks to local residents Jill McFadden and Kerri Weiden for their extended-stay housing logistics support, and also to the Reading Housing Authority, MEMA, and the offices of Congressman Seth Moulton, Senator Jason Lewis, Representatives Brad Jones and Rich Haggerty, and to Town staff led by Assistant Town Manager Jean Delios, Fire Chief Greg Burns, members of Human/Elder Services, and Public Safety including Public Health.
This has been a very complex situation, requiring all the aforementioned parties to work creatively together to solve a problem never seen before in the area. Sadly, another nearby community recently needed to evacuate a structurally unsafe housing complex, and now face similar housing challenges.
Many residents from 625 Main Street have found alternative permanent or temporary housing solutions, often with the assistance of Metro Housing Boston.
However, a core group of about a dozen residents have not. These dozen residents will lose their housing accommodations after August 30th. Metro Housing Boston has and will continue to work with these residents to secure alternative housing, including the availability of homeless shelters for the duration of the repairs to 625 Main Street.
For displaced residents in need, please continue to work with the excellent staff at Metro Housing Boston at (617) 859-0400 (1-800-532-0183 for hearing impaired), with Monday – Friday office hours 8:45 am- 5:00 pm.
Continued support from the Reading Community for the next eight weeks will be helpful to all displaced residents. Residents or friends would like to make a tax-deductible donation of any amount, there are three ways to do so:
- By cash or check at any branch of Reading Cooperative Bank. Checks payable to: Residents of 625 Main Street.
- By transfer from your RCB account. Just log in and follow the instructions on the RCB webpage.
- By credit or debit card via PayPal at readingcoop.com/charitable. These donations will incur a PayPal charitable rate fee of 2.2% + $0.30.
