To assist the families affected by the devastating fire in Bensonhurst, with the support of Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, I’ve joined with the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty to set up the Bensonhurst Fire Victims Fund.
Since the fire early Saturday morning, I’ve been meeting with the families, the Guatemalan consulate and local community leaders, including William Lombardo, owner of the Coney Island Memorial Funeral Home, who has generously agreed to help cover the funeral services.
The fund will be accepting donations to help pay for shelter, clothes, food and other funeral costs for families impacted by the blaze.
Checks should be made out to “Bensonhurst Fire Victims Fund c/o Met Council” and sent to:
Bensonhurst Fire Victims Fund
c/o Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty
80 Maiden Lane
New York, NY 10038
These families lost everything they had. Many of them have only the clothes on their backs, and they need our help. New Yorkers consistently show a charitable spirit when tragedy strikes. We need that charitable spirit right now. I am asking New Yorkers to dig deep into their pockets and help however they can.
