By: Chris Cheng
KILLEEN – More than 30 people are homeless, Friday, after a fire destroyed an apartment complex along the 1300 block of North Gray Street in Killeen.
"My daughter and I were asleep and all I heard was bang, bang, bang the apartments on fire get out, get out," April Raines said.
Raines is just one of the 21 people who are now calling the Killeen Community Center home.
"I survived Iraq and came home and this worse than anything I went through in Iraq," Raines said.
April and her 6-year-old daughter, London, were lucky enough to get out but with only the clothes on their back.
"It's a pretty devastating situation the community has stepped up to help the tenants are basically baring pretty well you know they are a strong group of people," Bob Roberts said.
Roberts, along with the 15 other Red Cross volunteers, are trying to get the victims back on their feet.
"Everyone seems to be ok given the circumstances," Raines said.
But for many of the children involved, the change has not been as easy.
"I tried to explain to her that just calm down, everything is going to be ok, you're alive that's the best thing," Raines said.
Despite not having a home, Raines and others said the help they are getting from the Red Cross and the city is incredible.
"They have been wonderful. They have given us extra money to go get some clothes and hygiene items. They have provided us food, they've given us cots and bedding," Raines said.
That help though is only temporary and all the victims staying at the shelter will have to find a new place to call home on Monday.
"You know they are going to need furniture, they are going to need clothes and things like that, and that's at the time we are going to be reaching out to other agencies asking for their assistance,"
Roberts said.
If you would like to help out, the Salvation Army will be taking clothing donations.
Furniture for Families, off South WS Young Drive in Killeen, will be accepting furniture donations, and the Food Care Center in Killeen will be taking can goods for these families.
