'Incredible' amount of donations pouring in for OEV community

An "incredible" amount of donations is pouring in for those affected by the Old East Village home explosion, according to LifeSpin, the charitable organization helping coordinate disaster relief efforts.

Londoners have been rallying around the east-end community ever since a car driven by an alleged drunk driver crashed into a Woodman Avenue home, severing a gas line and set off an explosion last Wednesday that damaged 10 homes.

"People have been generous from all over the city," said Jacqueline Thompson, executive director of LifeSpin.

Thompson said it's unclear how much money has been raised, partly due to the different avenues people can choose to donate and new fundraising initiatives keep popping up.

However, she estimated about $35,000 has been raised so far, with several days to go until Friday, when an exact figure is set to be released.

Thompson said Lifespin will meet with community partners on Tuesday to discuss how financial and tangible donations will be distributed to those who need help. 

"We need to have people power to come and sort what we've had donated," she said. "We will set up some sort of way where we can equitably distribute the cash dollars to families."

Thompson said the next step is to focus on getting displaced families back in the community.

Click this link for more information on how you can help.