Report finds about $400,000 raised for families of fatal 2022 Twin Parks fire not distributed

Three years after the Twin Parks fire, which killed 17 innocent people and left dozens of others injured and homeless, a report by the nonprofit NYS Focus showed that about $400,000 raised by the Bronx Community Foundation has not been sent directly to those impacted families.

Jan 28, 2025, 3:26 AM

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Three years after the Twin Parks fire, which killed 17 innocent people and left dozens of others injured and homeless, a report by the nonprofit NYS Focus showed that about $400,000 raised by the Bronx Community Foundation has not been sent directly to those impacted families.

The Board of Directors of the foundation sent News 12 the following statement:

"The Bronx Community Foundation is actively restructuring the organization from top to bottom, including identifying new leadership to carry the organization forward.

Since the leadership transition and change, the foundation has been in the process of doing our due diligence on what funds were previously raised by the Foundation and not deployed by prior leadership, and will be actively working to distribute the funding transparently and swiftly.

We will be collaborating closely with community partners and stakeholders to facilitate this process and to restore trust in our fiscal stewardship. We are committed to improving on activities of the past and are implementing enhanced oversight and accountability measures. Our focus remains on serving The Bronx community with integrity, transparency, and urgency, especially in times of crisis. We will also actively collaborate with community stakeholders to ensure that the remaining donations are distributed promptly and transparently.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020 and 2021, the Foundation demonstrated its ability to distribute significant funding and resources with speed, transparency and efficiency, guided by community stakeholders that ensured resources were directed to where they were most needed. It is the Foundation's intention to go back to those practices and recommit to these core principles as we move forward.

We appreciate the community's patience and support as we work diligently to rectify this situation and uphold our mission to support and empower The Bronx."

The Gambian Youth Organization [GYO], a local nonprofit, told News 12 that they received about $5,000 from the foundation to help victims cover visa fees and plane tickets for families of those who died.

Salim Drammeh, secretary of the GYO, said they’re calling for transparency from the Bronx Community Foundation.

“It’s pretty shocking to hear that [the money has not been distributed], and I'm just interested to see how the Bronx Community Foundation will make sure that the families are taken care of because 17 members passed away due to this fire,” Drammeh said.

Drammeh said GYO raised and distributed $1 million themselves to help the victims, many of whom are still struggling with housing issues and medical expenses.

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