Red Cross Seeks Donations After Fire Leaves Dozens Homeless in Lynn, Massachusetts

Donations are pouring in after a fire left dozens of people homeless on New Year's Day in Lynn, Massachusetts.

"I've never seen this kind of support," said fire victim Nicole Coman.

Everyone got out safely, but the need is great after Coleman and more than 60 of her neighbors were displaced by the fire on West Baltimore Street.

"We don't have nothing right now," said Macleo Tuloe, who was also displaced by the fire. "We lose everything we have."

Tuloe, his brother Bill and each of their daughters spent the night at a Red Cross shelter inside Lynn Classical High School.

"We're better in this than sleeping out on the street, a cold place, it is way better than us being outside," said Bill Tuloe.

"The big thing these people are working on now is making sure that these folks have transitional housing and ultimately permanent housing," said Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker.

But with so many large fires over the past few weeks in Cambridge, Methuen, Charlestown and elsewhere, Red Cross donations have been spread very thin.

"These disasters really happen every single day around the state and our volunteers are out there and it's the donations that people make to the Red Cross that help us get these people that are affected by these home fires and disasters back on their feet," said Red Cross Massachusetts communications specialist Jeff Hall.

And that help means the world to these fire victims.

"I'm blown away," Coman said. "I don't think it's hit me yet that I lost everything, because I just see so much love and people here willing to help me."

Gov. Baker and his wife dropped off donations for the fire victims Monday afternoon, but he also stressed the need for donations directly to the Red Cross after so many recent fires.

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