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Denver7 Gives is committed to helping those displaced by the Marshall Fire. More than two months later, dozens are still living in hotels. Thanks to generous donations to the Denver7 Gives Wildfire Relief Fund, we gave them a taste of home Tuesday night.
At the Residence Inn in Broomfield, dozens displaced by the Marshall Fire deserve a little comfort food.
"Everyday feels like moving through concrete that's setting," said Wanda Archer, who was forced out of her home by smoke damage."It gets a little bit harder every day. I just want to be back home."
Remediation that was supposed to take two weeks is still not completed after two months. While her hotel room has a mini kitchen, preparing meals has proven to be a challenge.
"Even though I have this kitchen, it's still difficult," Archer said. "I don't have all the tools that I need. I go to the store and think I'm going to make a salad, and I come back and I open the fridge and I don't have salad dressing."
For almost two months, a group of volunteers, who call themselves Operation Hotel Sanity, has been delivering home-cooked meals to Marshall Fire victims still living in hotels.
"When they get back to the hotel at night, I've just heard how grateful they are to have a hot meal ready," said Tiffany Tylka, a volunteer for Operation Hotel Sanity. "But there's definitely some burnout there. We've had volunteers who have been cooking for the same family two times a week since this all started."
Thanks to generous donations from viewers, Denver7 Gives decided to give those volunteers the night off, bringing Dickey's BBQ for more than 40 people displaced by the fire.
"So even though we're nine weeks in, and the farther away you are, it's really easy to forget," Tylka said. "So it is still happening. And for some people, it's just beginning."
In the hotel, those united by fire have formed a remarkable bond, frequently coming together for meals to share information about insurance, rebuilding and community.
"I'd like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart," said Archer. "To have another chance during the week to get together, it's just been very uplifting for all of us. So thank you."
Denver7 features the stories of people who need help and now you can help them with a cash donation through Denver7 Gives. One hundred percent of contributions to the fund will be used to help people in our local community.
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