‘Tip A Firefighter’ at New Britain Chili’s is debut for new disaster relief fund

Sep. 26--When fires, floods or other natural disasters strike families in Greater New Britain, there will be a chance that they can get some short-term help from a new relief fund.

Two businesses and a community organization this month created the Greater New Britain Disaster Response Fund as a way to help people who lose their homes and belongings in a natural disaster.

New Britain firefighters stepped forward Wednesday night to raise some of the first donations for the fund.

More than a half-dozen firefighters helped servers at Chili's in New Britain, taking orders, delivering drinks and bringing out meals; 15 percent of the customers' bills were donated to the fund. Firefighters accepted cash donations as well.

"This is what I love to do -- I love helping people, interacting with the community," firefighter Shaunna Mango said. "It's important for people to see our faces, know who we are, know that we support them."

The donations went to the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain's new disaster relief fund that will help residents -- particularly the needy -- in New Britain, Southington, Plainville and Berlin.

This summer, Stanley Black and Decker committed $2,500, Schaller Auto World donated $6,500 and the community foundation's board put in $1,000 to establish the fund.

"We'll be fundraising to add more -- the work begins now," said Dave Obedzinski, foundation president. "This isn't trying to take the place of the Red Cross. It's about what's next after the Red Cross provides the first help. This is what can bridge people to the next chapter."

New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart and Fire Chief Raul Ortiz are prominent supporters of the fund, and both took part in Wednesday night's fundraiser. The city frequently suffers apartment building fires that leave multiple families homeless, and often those people don't have renters' insurance or savings to fall back on.

"It's the poorest people that this happens to -- after a fire, they come to city hall and say 'I have nothing. Where do I go, what do I do?," Stewart said. "This is going to help."

Typically at a major fire, the Red Cross provides emergency housing vouchers or similar immediate aid to help displaced tenants through the first couple of nights.

If the fund can take in enough donations, the plan is to provide short-term aid of up to $1,000 to families displaced by fires or similar disasters, Obedzinski said. That could replace enough ruined clothing so that children can keep going to school or parents could keep working, or it might cover a security deposit for a new apartment, he said.

"These funds can go to help families on their worst day," Mango said.

The fund could also give aid to municipalities themselves that are suddenly hit with the costs of warming stations, food pantries, emergency shelters or similar costs in a natural disaster. Obedzinski's foundation has details at www.cfgnb.org/donate-now.

When the management of Southington's Chili's heard about the New Britain fundraiser, there was immediate interest in getting Southington's firefighters enlisted to help a similar drive there, he said.

"We're getting very positive reactions all around. To me, it's incumbent on us to address this need," he said. "When an apartment fire can put 21 families on the street in a matter of hours, we need to play a role in helping them."

Ortiz credits Stewart with leading the push to provide more help for victims. He is hoping that with her support, New Britain can eventually go a step further and create a storage center for donated clothing and other emergency supplies.

When a family's belongings are wiped out abruptly, firefighters could bring the people through to pick out a few essentials to tide them over until they're back on their feet, he said.

"We'll never replace everything people lose," Ortiz said. "But when you've lost everything, anything will help."

Don Stacom can be reached at dstacom@courant.com.

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