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After an Oct. 17 fire destroyed the homes of about 100 people at Empirian Village in West Greenbelt, the community was in desperate need of donations. The apartment complex's staff and volunteers didn't expect the high turnout from all areas of the community.

Some of that generosity came from the Catholic Community of Greenbelt. The group, which consists of a small group of people from the church, contributed Target and Giant gift cards and folded clothes and sorting donations.

"We thought gift cards would be the best option because people could buy their own things and what they need," said member Trudy Conrad.

Conrad and a handful of other members went to Empirian Village on their own time because "it's just the neighborly thing to do," Conrad said. "The need was there and you don't have to go far to help out."

Twenty-eight families were displaced when the apartments at 5925 Cherrywood Terrace were destroyed. The fires have since been ruled accidental, spurring from an electrical malfunction.

Residents were either immediately placed in vacant apartments or sent to a hotel free-of-charge until they could be placed.

"A lot of people escaped with just the clothes on their backs, like a thin nightgown, and were barefoot," said Rosemary Pezzuto, CEO of Camp Fire USA Patuxent Area Council, which operates out of Empirian Village's clubhouse.

On Oct. 19, one woman whose apartment was destroyed in the fire visited Pezzuto's office to get school supplies for her three children. She also got an added bonus — a box of food that someone donated.

"The commitment and generosity of the people of Greenbelt and the surrounding community has just been beyond expectation," Pezzuto said.

Though the apartment complex operated an entire room full of donations for nearly a month, Pezzuto said they had to give the remaining items to Mission of Love Charities, Inc. in Capitol Heights.