Riverdale Kiwanis helps raise $2,000 for Westchester fire victims

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, over 100 families were left displaced after a five-alarm fire erupted in a Mount Vernon apartment building, according to Mayor Shawn Patterson-Howard.  

Volunteers immediately rallied. Support flooded in from the American Red Cross, local community groups and small businesses, all the way to Riverdale — where Kiwanis Club raised about $2,000 and donated 10 bags of clothes and other supplies. 

The blaze at 30 Cottage Avenue started as a kitchen fire before spreading to the cockloft and ultimately, the entire building, Mount Vernon Fire Commissioner Kevin Holt said. There were no fatalities, though two residents and five fire fighters were treated for minor injuries. 

President of Kiwanis Riverdale Amelia Chaves said though they had collaborated with Mount Vernon Kiwanis before, this is the first large-scale fundraiser the clubs did together. By press time, Chaves said $1,930 had been raised, a small but meaningful dent in the $250,000 Patterson-Howard aims to raise by Christmas. 

The American Red Cross reported on Nov. 29 it registered 94 households for support, and a shelter was set up at Holmes Elementary School. It remains a safe and warm place, open to any displaced residents in need. 

Virginia Krompinger, vice president of Kiwanis Riverdale, said the club didn’t hesitate to step up. Once word spread of the fire, the need for supplies became urgent, even though Mount Vernon is outside of the Bronx. 

“Riverdale is a very generous community,” Krompinger told The Press. “I hope we can extend our generosity — in whatever capacity people can — so they can think about our neighbors in the north.” 

Kiwanis Club is a global nonprofit organization that aims to better the lives of children through fundraisers and service projects. Its local branch, Kiwanis Club of Riverdale, has been a pillar in the community for over 70 years. 

To donate to Mount Vernon fire survivors, visit givebutter.com/KiwanisMountVernonFire, or contact teamkiwanis@gmail.com for information on how to give via supplies or check.