Volunteer Patti Ghezzi is beyond grateful for her community, touched by the victims of a massive fire at the Avondale Forest Apartments.

“Immediately when I saw that it was the apartments at Pine Tree Circle, I knew that many, many students at Avondale Elementary School live in that complex,” says Ghezzi

The victims lost everything, except their lives after DeKalb County firefighters made several rescues, including one by Captain Scott Stroup, who caught a child tossed from a third-floor balcony.

“I looked on the news, and I saw the dramatic footage of children being thrown off the balcony, and I was just shocked to see that, and I couldn’t believe it, and was so relieved no one was killed,” says Ghezzi.

Volunteers for the Avondale Elementary School Education Foundation quickly went to work to help the seven families, who narrowly made it out alive.

“We made a list of things that we think families would need at this juncture in such a crisis,” says Ghezzi.

Volunteers plan to sort through donations over the weekend and provide the critical items to the families early next week. Volunteers tell me they will hand out supplies to the victims on Monday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Avondale Estates. They're also inviting anyone in the area who is a fire victim to come out and grab what they need.  

To make a donation, visit the Pine Tree Circle Relief GoFundMe page here.

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