Several senior living centers in Aiken are offering to provide housing for residents left homeless after a Tuesday morning fire destroyed the Marshall Square Retirement Community in Evans, Georgia.
Cumberland Village, Trinity on Laurens and HarborChase of Aiken can provide short-term and long-term residences for seniors in need of immediate housing.
The fire, which began after 3 a.m. Tuesday, destroyed most of the multistory complex, leaving one of the 85 residents, 91-year-old Dorothy Carpenter, dead, according to the Columbia County, Georgia, coroner.
Cumberland Village has available apartments and patio homes, some with furnishings.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by this morning's fire," said Jason Stewart, executive director of Cumberland Village. "The stress and anxiety these seniors and their families are experiencing now cannot be imagined. Cumberland Village wants to relieve them of at least some of the stress they are facing by offering our services and housing options to those in immediate need."
Cumberland Village is located at 3335 Wise Creek Lane, just off SC 421 and a block south of US 1 and 78. For more information, call 803-643-0073.
Trinity on Laurens has independent-living and assisted-living residences available.
"It's a heartbreaking situation, and anything we can do to help, we're happy to," said Connie Henrich, administrator.
A nonprofit, faith-based facility, Trinity on Laurens is at 213 Laurens St. N.W. in downtown Aiken. For more information, call 803-643-4200.
HarborChase, at 1385 Silver Bluff Road, also has part-time and long-term housing.
"Our heart goes out to all of the residents, and we hope that they are all safe and that God is looking over them," said Bobbi Shufelt, executive director.
For more information, call 803-642-8444.
An Aiken native, Larry Wood is a general assignment reporter. He started at the Aiken Standard in September 2014. The Associated Press contributed to this story.