Fenix Charity Fund Raises Funds to Support Families Affected by the Juodšiliai Fire

On October 13th, 2024, a fire caused by a gas leak devastated an apartment building in Juodšiliai, Lithuania, leaving 13 families homeless. 9 of the 13 affected apartments were completely destroyed, while the others suffered damage. Fortunately, no lives were lost, but the tragedy left families experiencing loss and uncertainty.  

The Fenix Charity Fund immediately took action, launching a fundraising initiative to support the families most affected. Thanks to the fund’s actions and generosity of donors, the campaign has successfully provided assistance to families with children. The funds raised have helped replace personal belongings, restore access to education, and support emotional recovery for the children.

On November 26th, the Fenix Charity Fund presented certificates to five children from the affected families, each valued at 1,000 euros. These funds were transferred directly to kids or their parents to help them address their needs. The Fenix Charity Fund made a meaningful contribution to ensure the promised amount per child would be reached.

During the transfer of funds, Renata Černiak, a representative of the Juodšiliai Eldership, attended the event at the invitation of the fund. The meeting was held at the Juodšiliai Community House, a venue provided by the eldership. Residents expressed their gratitude to the eldership for its active involvement in helping the community recover. Renata Černiak confirmed that the eldership has been assisting residents by providing consultations, organizing waste removal, and assigning personnel to help clean up the disaster site. Despite these efforts, the eldership’s resources are limited, and the approaching winter poses a significant challenge as residents work to complete roof repairs in time.

This fire struck at the heart of a community that had worked hard to create a better future. Just three years earlier, the residents of this building had collaborated with the Vilnius District Municipality to renovate their home. The sense of loss is profound, and not just in material terms, but also in the disruption of lives and futures. 

However, life has not stopped—the children need to go to school, socialize with peers, and continue learning.  After losing all her school supplies in the fire, one of the children, Estera, began writing in her notebooks with minimal spacing between the lines – aiming to make the most of the little she had left. Her mother shared this story with tears, underscoring the emotional and psychological impact of the tragedy.

For 17-year-old Almantas, the fire meant living apart from his parents as the temporary housing provided by the municipality couldn’t accommodate the whole family together. This separation along with deep uncertainty of when they can all return to a stable home, has been a real challenge. 

The health of both mothers, Ilona and Julija, has deteriorated; they find it difficult to concentrate on everyday tasks and to find motivation to rebuild their lives.

Two girls, Viltė and Radvilė, were eyewitnesses to the events while their mother Auksė, a teacher, was at work. Talking with Auksė, it is clear that this building has been significant to her ever since she decided to live there – she was personally involved in the renovation, from coordinating with the municipality to organizing transport for the builders to arrive in the morning before she went to work. Speaking with her, it’s clear she has the motivation to restore the building again, constantly staying in touch with municipal employees, arranging materials, and, thanks to her initiative, the roof is already being covered to prevent further damage from the approaching winter. However, despite her determination, the scale of the work is overwhelming, and she needs help from the government and businesses, along with caring for herself, her family, and her students.

“We are immensely grateful to everyone who supported this initiative – whether through donations, sharing our message, or simply offering words of encouragement. Your kindness has made a tangible difference in the lives of these families. At Fenix Charity Fund, we believe that everyone deserves to feel safe as a human, especially in their own home. Our hearts and minds are with the victims of this tragedy, and this project demonstrates the beautiful things we can achieve when we come together to rebuild lives and restore hopes”, explains Santa Laizane, Director of Fenix Charity Fund.

Although this campaign has concluded, the collection for rebuilding the Juodšiliai apartment building remains open, and we kindly urge you to consider making a donation. Together, we can help these families overcome this difficult time and ensure they have a safe place to call home again. Donations can be made via the following link: https://donate.fenix.eu/?p=p12.