FARMINGTON — United Way of the Tri-Valley Area is approaching $180,000 in gifts from 550 donors after the deadly propane explosion at the LEAP office building on Farmington Falls Road on Sept. 16.

United Way established the LEAP Explosion Fund to help those affected – firefighters, those displaced from their homes behind the office building and LEAP employees.

The community also donated to other funds that were established, including the Go Fund Me page for LEAP employee Larry Lord, the Farmington Firemen’s Benevolent Association and the Farmington Disaster Relief Fund.

A committee was formed with representatives from the Town of Farmington, the business community, Franklin County Emergency Management, Farmington police, social service agencies, the mental health field, LEAP and United Way. It has met three times and allocated $132,985 in immediate funding to help with a variety of needs, including first and last month’s rent and security deposits; replacement of household items; transportation costs and infrastructure repair.

The committee is now meeting monthly to steward the remaining dollars so that yet-to-be determined needs can be addressed, such as mental health services and medical needs. The committee is also reviewing ways to potentially provide a community contribution to an affordable housing project grant to leverage additional dollars to provide low-cost housing.

Those who need help after the trauma of Sept. 16 should call 211, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for a list of mental health services in the region. If cost is a barrier, the LEAP Explosion Fund may be able to help. Requests can be made to Megan Goodine at megan@leapcommunity.org.

For those interested in volunteering, those who have goods or services to provide or who were affected and need something, United Way established a Facebook page to connect people. Post to www.facebook.com/farmingtonexplosionassistance. Anyone who is not a Facebook user may call United Way and staff will post.

The blast killed Farmington Fire Rescue Capt. Michael Bell, injure six other firefighters and critically injured LEAP maintenance supervisor Larry Lord of Jay. Also, it displacing 33 people from their homes and significantly affected 14 LEAP employees and two adjacent businesses.

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