In a matter of days, the new life 26-year-old Kierra Hart built for herself in Fort Worth’s Near Southside came crumbling down.
A transplant from Florida, Hart and more than 800 of her neighbors were displaced by a June 23 fire that ravaged their homes at The Cooper apartment complex, leaving many units uninhabitable and demanding emergency response from more than 150 Fort Worth firefighters.
The same week of the fire, Hart, who had moved into The Cooper at the end of April, also lost the construction job that she, her sister and their puppy moved across the country for. As she has hunted for a new job and tried to rebuild, Hart and her sister have stayed at a hotel, adding to the already existing stack of bills piling up for necessities like car payments, insurance and puppy food.
On July 16, Hart joined dozens of her Cooper neighbors at the United Way of Tarrant County’s headquarters in northwest Fort Worth to receive a small but impactful cash sum the nonprofit distributed to residents after fundraising for two weeks. The nonprofit partnered with Fort Worth City Council member Elizabeth Beck, who represents the Near Southside, and Megan Henderson, director of events and communications for the nonprofit Near Southside Inc., to raise more than $100,000 in donations that directly benefited residents.
“We feel their empathy. We feel the love that they’re giving to us,” Hart told the Fort Worth Report after collecting a portion of the funds Wednesday night. “It means more than words can describe, honestly.”
Nonprofit staff handed fire victims envelopes filled with $500 in cash per apartment unit on a first-come, first-served basis at a private fund distribution event.
Residents, often moved to tears, told organizers and the Report the funds provided a meaningful step to help get them back on their feet and rebuild — especially as many residents report a lack of communication or transparency from The Cooper’s property management company, Cushman & Wakefield, regarding if or when they may reenter their apartments and assess damage to their belongings.
Kris Canfield, United Way of Tarrant County’s chief development officer, told the Report it made sense for her organization to immediately step in after the fire to start raising funds and connecting residents with resources. Throughout the year, United Way of Tarrant County works to improve social, economic and health access in underserved communities.
“This was a time that we could really pull everybody together to say, ‘This is why we exist. This is why we’re here,’” Canfield said after watching residents trickle in and out of her office to receive funds. “It’s just really cool to see it come to fruition like this.”
She encouraged community members wanting to support fire victims with donations of either money or resources to get in touch with United Way, which will continue working to support displaced residents as they navigate the aftermath of the fire.
Organizers collected funds starting 48 hours after the fire until July 9. Beck, the council member, said the majority of funds came in the form of small donations from individuals, but organizers also received financial contributions from Atmos Energy, Oncor and a local charitable foundation.
“This was a tremendous tragedy in our city,” Beck said. “My people were in need, so we figured out a way to help them.”
Justine McGough, 56, lived at The Cooper with her 22-year-old son and their two dogs for four years before the fire. She said the $500 she received will go toward clothing and other immediate needs.
McGough said she was fortunate enough to be able to stay with her daughter in north Fort Worth since the fire while her son stayed with his girlfriend. A self-employed barber who also works part time in the corporate world, McGough said she’s thankful to have received financial assistance from a fundraiser her job organized for her, too.
Although McGough said she’s still “in my head” about whether she’ll ever reunite with the sentimental items left in her apartment, including her son’s guitars and her own paintings, she’s trying to keep a positive outlook as she starts over. Having an extra $500 added to her wallet doesn’t make it easier, but it shaves off at least a little stress.
McGough and other tenants at the distribution event said they felt blessed by the outpouring of community support — in the form of financial assistance, donated resources and emotional reassurance — that they have seen from local leaders and individual community members across Fort Worth.
“The community has been fabulous. They’ve all been very supportive in anything you need,” McGough said.
Despite the uncertainties ahead, Hart said, she feels overwhelmed by support as she moves forward. She said she’s never seen such a high level of community care, adding that she thought that was “just a movie thing,” not something you actually see in real life.
“It was so warming to see and to know that other people actually care and want to help, that has been the most mind-boggling thing ever,” Hart said. “It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it and talking about it, because it’s like, ‘Wow. People really care.’”
Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org.
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