PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The city’s Office of Emergency Management, in concert with state agencies, held a multi-agency resource center at Friends Hospital on Thursday for people affected by the deadly medical plane crash nearly one week ago in Northeast Philadelphia. Assistance will be available at other locations in the days to come.
Dealing with issues as far-ranging as food, housing, mental health care and the replacement of important documents, 18 different agencies were on hand to offer resources, make connections and simply answer questions.
Griselba Jimenez is owner of Hondumex Grocery Store, at Leonard Street near Cottman Avenue. Her store was damaged by the crash and is unsafe to re-open. One of her employees, Vivian Gonzales, witnessed the horror of the crash.
“Was a disaster. Was terrible,” Gonzales said. “Was like a war, a scene like you see in a movie you never thought you were going to see right in front of your eyes.”
Gonzales was there to translate and to get information about mental health services for other people in her community who are undocumented and afraid to attend for fear of deportation.
“They are going to come to us and give us the information for those people they are not legal here and they need to get help too,” Gonzales said.
Dominic Morales, director of the city's Office of Emergency Management, says they have a trailer set up in the parking lot of the Roosevelt Mall where resources are available between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m., until further notice.
“Folks can come. Licenses and Inspections inspectors are ready to help folks gain access, ready to answer some of those questions right there on the spot,” he said.