Victims of the horrific East Harlem explosion still trying to piece their lives back together are getting a little help from the Mayor’s Fund of NYC.
The nonprofit, headed by First Lady Chirlane McCray, has raised $421,123 for ongoing relief efforts, aides said.
Among the more than 600 contributors was Con Edison, the company held responsible for the March 12 explosion, which was caused by a gas leak. Con Ed donated $100,000.
The Real Estate Board of New York also gave $100,000 and the pro-business Association for a Better New York kicked in $15,000. About $10,000 came from the Rudin real estate magnate family, aides said.
About $270,000 was committed to the Victims Assistance Fund. Another $115,000 went to three local organizations to offer counseling and support services, while $15,000 was raised in clothing gift cards and air purifiers.
Roughly $35,000 went to housing needs — including rent and utilities — for families who were displaced from the two buildings that were destroyed in the disaster, which killed eight people and injured 48.
Seven people have found temporary housing, but there is still one man looking for an apartment with the city’s help — Cecilio Hernandez, who lost his wife and daughter in the explosion, and whose son suffered bad injuries.
Gabrielle Fialkoff, a senior advisor and director of the mayor’s Office of Strategic Partnerships, said the Fund helped step in where first responders had left off.
“The Mayor’s Fund was able to marshal resources and get them out into the community within days of the blast, filling an essential role as first responders pulled back and before longer-term solutions were realized,” she said.
