BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — A month after the Marshall Fire, dozens of families are living out of hotels as they work to find more permanent housing. Many don’t have access to a kitchen and can’t make their own food. Now, their neighbors are stepping in to help them out.
In the middle of so much change, a convoy of volunteers outside a hotel brings comfort.
"The goal is just to make their day a little easier," said Kate Coslett, who organized the effort. "After the fires and what these people have gone through, I just couldn’t stop thinking about these individuals and families living in hotels."
They call it Operation Hotel Sanity. Coslett had the idea to drop off home-cooked meals and other goods for the families who lost their homes.
"Anybody who has lived in a hotel for an extended period of time knows hotel living loses its glam after a week or two, especially under these circumstances," Coslett said. "This community is just a beautiful community. They’re so willing to step up and give. My inbox was just flooded with people saying 'how can I help you?'"
Nearly 100 volunteers have signed up to help more than 60 families.
"We have volunteers that are preparing meals and bringing them to the guests here," said Jill Factor, one of the volunteers.
They deliver food and goods to families in hotels all around the neighborhoods where the Marshall Fire struck.
Sagamore neighborhood after Marshall Fire
"So that was really hard at first, accepting help. So many people were like, 'what do you need?' We didn’t even know what we needed. We need everything," said Kelly Biala, who lost the home her family was renting in the fire. "It was actually more helpful when they were like, 'we’re going to bring you food.' And then we didn’t have to decide what we needed."
The Homewood Suites has become home for Biala and her family after they lost nearly everything.
"When this happens and people bring us homemade food, that’s probably the best of our week," Biala said. "There’s just so many people wanting to help us and so many of us that need help."
A meal brings comfort, as a community recovers.
"I think we kind of forget about the day-to-day things we take for granted, like having a home-cooked meal, having a kitchen to cook in," said Alison Hubbard, one of the volunteers.
Fire survivors living in hotels can sign up for help here.
To volunteer with Operation Hotel Sanity, sign up here.
To donate items, visit the organization's Amazon wishlist.
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