Residents packed up belongings for storage after being displaced from their homes.
Cotton Mill Apartment residents are in need of assistance after a burst sprinkler line on July 15 forced many from their homes.
About 20 residents are currently staying at the Dutch Inn in Collinsville, with a few others housed at the Virginian Motel in Stuart. They are expected to remain in hotels for at least 30 days while repairs are made to the apartment complex.
Katy Trent, of Trent Memorials LLC, who also worked as a caregiver at the complex, said some residents on the third floor were not affected by water damage, and were able to remain in the Stuart complex.
Trent said that from her understanding, tenants had to remove their belongings by Monday, July 28, to allow repairs to begin.
“We were actually there Saturday trying to help pack up one woman,” she said. “The problem with that is they’re wanting them to get these pods and stuff to put their stuff in, and they said they could store them in the lower drive there because it’s like a two-tiered parking lot. The problem is there’s not enough pods to bring in right now. These people had full lives. I mean, imagine taking everything you have and being told you had to get it out in a couple days.”
She added that many residents didn’t have family available to help them move.
“We helped a man move his couch because it was waterlogged—it was ruined,” she said.
While residents were responsible for paying for the storage pods themselves, Trent said it was her understanding the complex is waiving August rent.
To help dry the apartments, Trent said multiple fans and dehumidifiers are running throughout the complex, and repairs are underway.
“They’re ripping out the walls and they can’t go back, and the unfortunate thing is not everybody’s equipped to stay in a hotel to meet their needs. They’re living off the basics,” she said.
Though residents have temporary housing, Trent said many are still in need of hot meals.
“The ones that are staying there at the Dutch Inn, half of them don’t have refrigerators and half of them don’t have microwaves, so they don’t have any means to actually cook any food,” she said.
Trent said her friend is still serving as a case worker for some Cotton Mill residents.
“She’s been doing a lot of the legwork as far as making sure they’re getting at least one meal a day, like a hot meal a day,” she said. “Unfortunately, they can’t use the facilities at the Dutch Inn as far as their stove and stuff like that. I get that—I’m sure there’s a lot of legalities with insurance and stuff like that with that.”
While food donations are appreciated, Trent said many residents have health-related dietary restrictions.
“For instance, one man—he’s a severe diabetic—and there’s a lot of things he’s not allowed to have like gluten, dairy and different stuff like that,” she said. “One person made spaghetti one night, and that was really amazing, so we don’t want to knock any of that, but he couldn’t eat it. So that’s one of the big focuses that we’re trying to bring about. Like, yes, they need help and yes, they are grateful for anything that they’re given, but there’s issues like that and they need help with.”
Trent said sugar-free or low-sugar snacks are helpful donations, and work on organizing a meal train to make and deliver food to the residents at both hotels is underway.
Since many of the residents previously had medications delivered by mail to their apartments, Trent said some are now struggling to access needed prescriptions.
“I know the apartment manager, I think, went and picked up a prescription for one guy and brought it to him. I don’t know if you’ve ever had to backtrack all that stuff—that’s a huge thing—and when it’s insulin and heart medications, it’s a big deal,” she said.
Despite the disruption, Trent said the residents—many of whom are elderly or disabled—have come together to support one another.
“More people just need to step up,” she said. “These are people that, by and large, have grown up in this community, that have worked in this community and supplied income to this community, and they’re needing our help now.”
Monetary donations can be sent to Trent Memorials LLC, 135 G Run, Critz, VA 24082. Trent said donations will be used for whatever residents need.
For more information about how to help, visit Facebook.com/TrentMemorialsLLC.
