Diocese of Fall River, Mass. † Friday, August 1, 2025
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Catholic Charities staff and volunteers mobilize to support Gabriel House fire survivors
Providing Hope: Bishop Edgar da Cunha paid a visit to Catholic Charities of Fall River to thank staff and volunteers for their hard work in collecting necessities for survivors of the Gabriel House fire that took place on July 13. Sheila Chasse, Catholic Charities of Fall River Director of Housing and Basic Needs, shows Bishop da Cunha some of the donated items.
By Joan D. Warren Editor
joandwarren@anchornews.org
FALL RIVER — In the aftermath of the devastating July 13 fire at Gabriel House in Fall River, which claimed 10 lives and displaced dozens more, Catholic Charities of Fall River has become a central hub for relief efforts— driven by compassion, urgency, and unwavering community support. From the earliest hours after the fire, Catholic Charities staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly to support the 59 displaced residents, many of whom are 60 and older. Gabriel House was their home. Scott Gifford, Facilities Director, and Sheila Chasse, Director of Housing and Basic Needs, have been at the forefront of this humanitarian
response, supported by a dedicated team of staff and volunteers. Gifford has been working long hours to move, sort, and organize the abundance of donated items pouring in from across the region—and beyond. In the days following the fire, the Catholic Charities building on Bay Street was transformed into a full-scale relief center. The former chapel now serves as a staging area for clothes and toiletries, while hallways are filled with medical equipment and stacks of clothing in bins. Volunteers have been sorting, folding, and preparing personalized care packages for each survivor—tailored to their specific sizes and needs. Donations have included everything from blankets and clothing to walkers, wheelchairs, and even an electric wheelchair. A local LPN volunteered to inspect all medical
devices for safety. Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., visited the facility to show his support of the efforts of Catholic Charities. “Following the tragic fire that caused the loss of many lives and displacement of many people in Fall River recently, I am so impressed with the response from the community who brought so many personal items for the victims of the fire who lost everything. I am also so grateful and proud of the staff of our Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fall River, for their tireless work in receiving, sorting out and distributing those items to the survivors of the fire,” Bishop da Cunha said. “The response has been overwhelming,” said Susan Mazzarella, CEO of Catholic Charities. “We even received a box from someone in Florida. We’ve seen the greatness of this tragedy bring out extreme compassion—the good at the heart of people.” On Monday, July 21, a large white truck from Arbors of Taunton, an assisted living facility, arrived filled to the brim with donated items. Handmade cards also arrived from Franklin Court Assisted Living in Bristol, Rhode Island. Residents there had experienced a small fire themselves and wanted to offer encouragement and solidarity. When Duncan Hearing Health Center learned that some survivors had lost their hearing aids, they offered to provide new devices free of charge. At Transfiguration of the Lord Church in North Attleborough, Father David Costa made an appeal to parishioners, raising $400 in cash, $250 in gift cards, and collecting toiletries for survivors. Many of the displaced residents were initially housed at the Timao Center, the city’s 8 Turn to page two August 1, 2025 †
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