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April 11, 2023 was a typical spring day in Richmond, Indiana. The sun was out, birds were chirping, and everything seemed normal. That was until local residents began to smell a foul odor that seemed to seep into their homes. Upon looking outside, residents could see thick, black smoke billowing amongst tall flames in the distance.
A building had caught fire.
But not just any building, it was a plastic recycling plant. This large facility held 14 acres of plastic, all of which ignited in flames.
The immediate concern was the safety of the residents near the fire, but quickly, the concern turned towards the toxicity of the smoke in the air. Plastics release a lot of toxic chemicals when they are burned — all of these chemicals were potentially carried into the homes of nearby residents.
The immense fire burned for two days, until the last hot spot was put out on the evening of April 13.
All residents within a .5-mile radius of the fire were evacuated, displacing over 2,000 people from their homes. Not only were they displaced, fear also settled into their hearts, causing a pit of worry over short-term and long-term medical concerns. They’re lives had been interrupted in a big way.
On April 20, residents were allowed to go back to their homes, but the fear still remained. Officials had done tests on the air to ensure it was safe, but worry will last in the hearts of those local to the area.
Shortly after residents were evacuated, Midwest Mission was contacted by the Dwyer Community Center in Richmond. They explained their needs, and Brad Walton, Operations Manager, began to plan a delivery to the Center.
On Monday, April 24, Ramon Ortiz, Midwest Mission’s Operations Specialist, drove a trailer of disaster relief supplies to Richmond. This included 360 UMCOR Cleaning Kits, 312 UMCOR Hygiene Kits, and 100 UMCOR Feminine Hygiene Kits.
“I must again express my gratitude to you and UMCOR in providing assistance to the families affected by the recent industrial fire in Richmond, Indiana,” our contact at the Dwyer Community Center said. "The evacuation area was .5-mile radius around the fire, affecting approximately 900 households.”
These kits will be vital in helping Richmond residents return to their everyday lives. As they clean their homes, and as the community finds some sort of normalcy within the worry and fear, these families will not have to worry about having what they need.
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