Vinton community comes together to help families affected by fire

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - Residents of the Town of Vinton came together Saturday to support their neighbors affected by a large fire downtown that destroyed apartments and businesses.

Many local shops donated food, lemonade, and water for the crews working to extinguish and clean the area. The Charles R. Hill Community Center is collecting donations to help the people who lost their belongings in the fire. Community Programs Director Chasity Barbour says they are accepting food, clothing, and money for the families who’ve been affected.

“They didn’t know this was gonna happen. Nobody has this plan,” said Barbour. “And so we wanna give back as much as we can because all of us are in shock. I mean we can’t believe this. Everybody’s heart is hurting right now. So the best thing we can do is make sure these people are taken care of.”

If you want to help, drop off donations at the community center next to the Vinton War Memorial. Also, The Vinton Area Chamber of Commerce is accepting non-perishable food items and clothing for the displaced residents and can be reached at info@vintonchamber.com.

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