About five dozen members from fire departments from around the region battled a blaze at an apartment building on Saranac Avenue Monday night. (Provided photo — Lake Placid Volunteer Fire Department)

LAKE PLACID — In the hours and days following a devastating fire at Whiteface Vistas Apartments, formerly Swiss Acres Inn, on Monday night, nonprofits and businesses were already looking for ways to help displaced residents.

The American Red Cross, which had volunteers on the scene the night of the fire, has continued to meet with fire victims to help them find places to stay and other resources. Mary Alice Molgard, a disaster public affairs volunteer partner for the Eastern New York Region, said further financial assistance is available for fire victims on a case-by-case basis.

Victims are encouraged to contact the American Red Cross 518-458-8111 or by visiting redcross.org. The Red Cross is typically available for about two weeks after a disaster, Molgard said. They also collaborate closely with local organizations and governments to help connect people to available resources.

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Where to donate

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The American Red Cross does not generally accept donations with designation for specific disasters, Molgard said. Instead, any donations are applied wherever there is a need. The organization does not receive any federal funds for their disaster response. To donate, visit the American Red Cross website.

Locally, efforts to centralize donations and fundraising are still underway. Jim Koenig, president of the Thrive and Thrift board, said the thrift shop and food pantry have already been working to distribute clothes from what they already had in stock. As of press time on Wednesday, Thrive and Thrift was not able to accept specific donations for the fire — Koenig said they need time to compile a complete list of items that people need.

Anyone who is interested in donating should monitor the Thrive and Thrift Facebook page at tinyurl.com/3f8nm5rj for updates about what donations are needed and when they are ready to accept them. People impacted by the fire are welcome to contact Thrive and Thrift directly at 518-302-5099.

Other small fundraisers have begun across the community. The Breakfast Club Etc. will be donating all of their proceeds to fire victims next Wednesday, according to a Facebook post. The brunch restaurant is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

As of press time on Wednesday, there were a number of GoFundMe fundraisers posted for victims of the fire:

– tinyurl.com/45admr9n

– tinyurl.com/326yzxsz

– tinyurl.com/4z83k6tb

– tinyurl.com/m66jvnen

– tinyurl.com/4cuy7r43

– tinyurl.com/4zw9nzpk

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Ongoing housing needs

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Emily Kilburn Politi, president of the Adirondack Roots board of directors and North Elba council member, said she has been working with the Red Cross and businesses around Lake Placid to find places for the displaced residents to live. Some residents were J-1 visa students and were able to be relocated to other properties that typically house J-1 workers. However, solutions for some of the other residents are not quite as straightforward. Kilburn Politi said this incident highlights the need for affordable housing in Lake Placid.

she said.

For now, however, Kilburn Politi said the Red Cross is a good point of contact for people who were displaced.