NEWS
Picking up the pieces
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Also by Alex Brousseau:
- Snow clearing may improve (December 7, 2007)
- Sports restaurant opening Aug. 1 (December 5, 2007)
- Fire highlights safety needs (November 30, 2007)
- Picking up the pieces (November 16, 2007)
- City: Watch out where you park (November 14, 2007)
Related Stories:
- Displaced Carroll residents call university, bookstore helpful (November 13, 2007)
- Carroll Street fire displaces students (November 12, 2007)
- Saxony blaze displaces students (January 22, 2002)
- Report details locations of Katrina refugees (November 22, 2005)
by Alex Brousseau
Friday, November 16, 2007
Following the fire at 505 N. Carroll St. Saturday, 30
students found themselves without clothes, books or a place to stay.
Most of the students have since been able to return to class
and begin looking for new apartments, thanks to University of Wisconsin crisis
funds and relief efforts.
The University's assistance to the displaced residents has
been "tremendous," according to UW junior Andy Roeker, who lived on the sixth
floor, where the fire originated.
"They truly care," Roeker said. "I talked to Lori [Berquam] and
a few assistant deans over the phone a couple times, and they are all just
really nice people and they've done just a really good job."
The university helped students recover with money from its
Crisis Relief Fund, a loan program designed to support students in times of
crisis. The program is funded entirely by private donors.
"We have some amazing donors, both local and as far away as
New York and California, who give money to our crisis loan fund to support
students who have a crisis," UW Dean of Students Lori Berquam said. "That
crisis can be a fire, an apartment flooding, domestic violence victims or
losing a job."
Students who receive this relief are expected to pay back
the money in full, although there is no interest or specific time limit
because, according to Berquam, it is more important that the student gets back
on his feet than repay the money quickly.
"[The Crisis Relief Fund] has helped so many students stay
in school," Berquam said. "It's the difference between staying here and
persevering, and packing up and going home, and we want to give them a chance
to stay and persevere."
For those students displaced by the Carroll Street fire, the
University offered each student $500 to take care of basic needs, Berquam said.
About half of the 30 displaced students came forward, adding up to around
$7,500 in total relief funds.
According to Roeker, UW was not the only one pitching in to
help the students. The University Book Store opened an account for each
student, allowing them to get new books that they could either pay off later or
loan for the semester for free.
Roeker used the $500 dollars he received from the University
to pay for food, his insurance deductible and basic needs like a toothbrush,
toothpaste, boxers and undershirts.
"I went to Target and spent $200 getting stuff you don't
even think about," Roeker said. "When you have literally nothing, you have to
buy everything, including stupid stuff that you don't think you need, like nail
clippers."
His next objective, along with everyone who lived on the
sixth floor, is finding a new place to live for the remainder of the semester,
which Roeker said is impossible.
"No one wants to rent to a group of four people for only a
month," Roeker said. "They want a longer commitment."
UW helped him and other displaced students find new
residence by setting them up with a realtor who, according to Roeker, went
through every possible apartment and living space with them. As a last resort,
University Housing has offered to set them up in the den of a dormitory.
Another organization that offered relief to the displaced
students was the Badger Red Cross, whose aid workers were some of the first
people at the scene Saturday.
"Our main focus is to provide emergency assistance at the
scene and immediately thereafter, making sure that people affected have a place
to stay both that night and in the future," said Jane Richardson, director of communications
and marketing for the Red Cross. "We provide clothing, food, personal supplies
and anything they need to get back to rebuilding their lives."
In addition, the Red Cross maintains a force of 300
volunteers trained to respond to crises, with teams on duty at all times. A
team will typically arrive on-scene within an hour of the Fire Department to
counsel victims and set up temporary living arrangements.
The Badger chapter responds to emergencies all over Dane and
Jefferson counties. When dealing with UW students, they try to work closely with
the university.
"We are in touch with the Dean of Students Office,"
Richardson said. "They are the ones who get the first call, and we work
hand-in-hand with them to make sure there are no gaps in what the students
need."
After the Carroll Street fire, the Red Cross paid for the
displaced students to stay at the Doubletree Hotel on West Johnson Street.
The Red Cross put UW junior Colleen Everett up at the hotel
for four days, and other residents she knows stayed longer, Everett said. In
addition, the organization gave Everett and her roommate $50 for food expenses.
Everett lived on the fifth floor, directly below where the
fire started, and some of her books, notebooks and her laptop were ruined due
to water and smoke damage. According to Everett, she refused the $500 from the
university because she thought she would be able to move back into her old
residence within a few days, but this has extended into two weeks due to
construction.
But overall, when UW students find themselves dealing with a
crisis, the university helps meet their needs, according to Roeker.
"It's comforting to know [the university] is there for its
students," he said.
Anonymous (November 16, 2007 @ 8:46am):
how do other UW students get involved? What can I donate to help you guys out? Put some information up!
Anonymous (November 16, 2007 @ 8:23pm):
uhhh i live in the building. and no one gave us 500 dollars. And they haven't even told us how the fire was started yet.
Anonymous (November 18, 2007 @ 2:06pm):
the 500 dollar check went to the students who lived on the 6th floor....you know the ones who lost everything?! Hopefully you'll get by on wet carpet..yikes!
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