Fire on Potter Street: What happened, how you can help

Shane Claiborne is the founder and member of The Simple Way Community in Philadelphia and the author of The Irresistable Revolution. (If you haven't read it, run out and get it. It's an amazing and important book. It can change your life. Seriously.) On June 22, there was a devastating fire that destroyed the community and many families homes and belongings on Potter Street as well as many of the ministries that The Simple Way operates. Please read the details of the fire below (as posted on their site) and ways you can help. Please pray for these folks. They're doing important work for the Kingdom and are the hands and feet of Jesus to a lot of beautiful and needful people in that area.

The picture is of me and Shane (yes, I'm standing up!) when he was here a couple of weeks ago.

Updates, photos, video, and information about the community and how to help can be found at http://www.thesimpleway.org/

6/20/07 11:25PM (UPDATED)
This morning, a 7-alarm fire consumed an abandoned warehouse in our Kensington neighborhood in Philadelphia. The Simple Way Community Center at 3200 Potter Street was destroyed as well as at least eight of our neighbors’ homes. Over 100 people were evacuated from their homes, and 400 families are currently without power. Despite this tragedy, we are incredibly thankful to share that all of our community members and every one of our neighbors is safely out of harm’s way.

This fire will forever change the fabric of our community. Eight families are currently homeless, and in many cases have lost their vehicles as well as their homes. One of our neighbors, the Mahaias Family, lost their three cars as well as the equipment one family member uses for her massage therapy business. Teenager Brian Mahaias is devastated not because he has lost his belongings, but because he fears that this fire will force him to move away from this neighborhood that is his family as well as his home.

The Simple Way has lost a community center that was home to our Yes! And… afterschool program, community arts center, and Cottage Printworks t-shirt micro-business as well as to two of our community members. Community members Shane Claiborne and Jesce Walz have lost all of their belongings, Yes!And…’s after school studio and library were ruined, and community member Justin Donner’s Cottage Printworks equipment and t-shirts were destroyed.

We are thankful that we are able to help each other during this time of need, and we will continue to keep your informed about today’s events.

We have established funds to support the families who have lost their homes, the Yes! And… afterschool program, and the Simple Way community.

These funds have been established through a partner organization, EAPE. Tax-deductible donations can be made at http://tonycampolo.org/simpleway_donation.php. Please make sure to designate “TSW-Kensington Families Fund” or “TSW-Rebuilding Fund”.

-The Simple Way Community