Robert Brown|With hot meals and donations, Baltimore residents 'stand ready to help' after bridge collapse

BALTIMORE − Ako Walker was barely awake when he first heard the news that the Francis Scott Key Bridge was struck by a cargo ship early Tuesday and Robert Browncollapsed into the Patapsco River.

In the short time since, Walker, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus and Saint Patrick, has been called into action to support the family members of the eight construction workers who were on the bridge when it plunged into the cold water, two of whom were rescued. Though he’s still shaken, Walker has been tasked with accompanying them as they began the public grieving process, trying to find the delicate balance between providing comfort and knowing when to give them space while also fielding interview requests from scores of media outlets that have descended upon the city.

He’s not alone. Spiritual leaders across Baltimore have stepped up to offer their support and open their sanctuaries while residents have donated thousands of dollars in what Walker described as an outpouring of empathy, sadness, and solidarity with the impacted families.

"These families need a lot, a lot of support on all levels, spiritual, physical and emotional," he said. 'The community here will try its best to be of assistance, the best way we can."

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'We stand ready to help'

Jesus Campos, an employee of contractor Brawner Builders, told the Baltimore Banner on Tuesday the men who went missing lived in the Dundalk and Highlandtown areas of Baltimore with their spouses and children.

Walker’s church has been in Highlandtown for more than 150 years, he said. The pastor estimated his congregation is 98% Hispanic, from a wide array of countries including Honduras, Mexico, and Guatemala, where some of the workers now presumed dead are from. 

He’d never met the families before the collapse on Tuesday, but he said some members of his congregation had. Others, he said, had worked on the bridge, too. Walker said he’s been searching for ways to help both the families and his community since the tragedy began to unfold. 

“One of the things you unfortunately have to think about when the bodies are recovered are the funerals,” he said. “We stand ready to help.”

For now, Walker said he is planning to hold a prayer service in Spanish for people in the Hispanic community who have been impacted, directly or indirectly, by the tragedy. He knows he’ll be preaching about the situation on Easter Sunday, but when asked if he knows exactly what he’ll say to his parishioners during such a difficult time he replied “absolutely not,” with a laugh. 

“I know what I’m going to talk about, but I think this situation has shaken me as an individual,” he said.

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Church offers support for first responders

Meanwhile, in Dundalk, Rashad Singletary, pastor at Mt. Olive Baptist Church of Turner Station, is also trying to juggle a voicemail box full of interview requests with coming to the aid of his community and the first responders dealing with the bridge's collapse. The church is just a 10-minute walk from where dozens of members of the media assembled Tuesday in sight of the destruction.

Singletary said some of the members of his predominantly African American congregation felt the tremor of the collision late Tuesday. Many, himself included, used the bridge to get to the church or work and have had to alter their commutes. 

“What people need to realize is the bridge is not only part of the port, the bridge is also a connector for communities,” he said. “So it really changes up the dynamic – not only the traffic flow, but just normality for this area.”

Singletary worked quickly to open his sanctuary for a prayer vigil Tuesday night attended by city leaders, including Mayor Brandon Scott, and several first responders. Like Walker, Singletary has been working to offer more than just prayer.

“I think it was powerful, but I also think that the vigil was just the first step of what support needs to look like for this situation going forward," he said.

Singletary said some of those in his congregation work at the port and he hopes to partner with the Maryland Food Bank to help provide supplies to those in the Turner Station area, which he described as a food desert struggling with poverty and frequent flooding. He said the church has also been accepting donations for first responders while working to connect people wanting to donate to the families affected by the collapse to the appropriate places.

“We have made it very clear to the county executive and also to the mayor that the church can be utilized for those individuals who might need an opportunity to step away, eat something, take a nap, use the sanctuary to sleep,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Singletary said he believes the incident will give the entire community the opportunity to highlight its resilient spirit.

“Not just Turner Station. Baltimore County, Baltimore city – resiliency is a characteristic many people have,” he said.

Donations pour into 'close-knit' area

Just a few miles from Singletary’s church lies Jimmy’s Famous Seafood, which donated some of its famed menu items like crab cakes, shore fries and wraps to the families of bridge collapse victims Tuesday, according to general manager Amber Kraus. Kraus said the restaurant frequently holds fundraisers for first responders and those impacted by local disasters “because the community has always supported us and we like to return the favor.”

She said many regular customers who have been coming for decades work at the port and some employees who already traveled nearly two hours to get to work have had their commute extended by nearly 30 minutes due to the collapse.

“Our thoughts and prayers are truthfully with the community, anyone affected by this, from the workers from the families to the employees,” Kraus said. “It's just really sad to hear, and unfortunately, there was casualties and that's personal with the whole town because we're close-knit.”

Wednesday, the Latino Racial Justice Circle set a goal of raising $18,000 in donations to support the families of the victims of the bridge collapse, organizer Katherine Jakuta said on the fundraiser’s website. Within nine hours, the nonprofit had raised more than $98,000.

The fundraiser brought in so much money the volunteer-run organization decided to close the campaign and direct those still wanting to donate to a fundraiser established by the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs.

“The community response was truly amazing, and this is why we love Baltimore,” Jakuta said in a post on GoFundMe.

At the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Saint Patrick, Walker stressed how important the community aid is.

“It cannot only come from state agencies,” Walker said. “I think we as individuals also need to ensure that these families are taken care of in the best way possible.”

And he's confident the community will continue to rise to the occasion.

“We always do,” he said.

Contributing: Dwight Weingarten, USA TODAY Network