Northeast Philadelphia community still struggling after deadly medical jet crash

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A resource town hall was held at Northeast High School on Wednesday night to offer assistance to those impacted by the deadly medical jet crash.

Seven people were killed and 24 others were injured when the jet crashed on Cottman Avenue on January 31. More than 360 properties in Northeast Philadelphia were impacted by the tragedy.

Action News spoke with Vivian Gonzalez on Wednesday. She said her market, Variedades Hondumex Grocery, was damaged.

"For the past few weeks, we're not able to open," she said. "So we lost wages, ya know. We lost produce. We lost customers, of course."

RELATED: Northeast Philadelphia plane crash victims: What we know about those injured and killed

Gonzalez said she hasn't been able to survey the extent of the damage inside her business because it has been deemed unsafe. Until the city allows, she is not able to enter the building and begin picking up the pieces.

To help with the recovery process, she was one of the dozens of people who attended a resource town hall at Northeast High School organized by State Representative Jared Solomon.

"We want to make sure we're there for people now and into the future because it's going to take a long time to come back from this," Rep. Solomon said.

Solomon estimated hundreds of families living in the impacted area of Northeast Philadelphia are dealing with issues because of the crash.

RELATED: Concerns of trauma, need for help in wake of deadly Northeast Philadelphia plane crash disaster

Regarding the town hall, he said, "You have folks providing food security, issues of housing. Let's say you're trying to expedite an insurance claim, we have the commissioner from the state level."

He added, "What's left are neighbors who need help; businesses who need to get back on their feet."

Solomon said he is currently working to get legislation passed that would free up money for businesses impacted by the crash. Plus, he said there is an effort to start a local nonprofit to help residents in the affected community.

Another focus of Wednesday's event was connecting victims with the mental health resources they need.

Delores Brooks, who lives in Northeast Philadelphia, told Action News, "I'm in counseling now because I have nightmares about this. I have anxiety attacks about this. Every time I see a plane, I'm looking up in the air to see which way that plane is going."

Brooks was in her home when the jet crashed. "As I turned over to look out the window, a huge ball of flames started coming toward me," she explained.

As of now, her house remains boarded up, but she said she is still living inside. She was incredibly grateful to see the community support available at the town hall.

"There's a lot going on, and we all need each other, so let's just pull together," said Brooks.

Last week, in response to the crash, the Northeast Service Collaborative was created. It is comprised of five local organizations that are offering resources, counseling and behavioral health services at a time so many are still in need.

"We've always collaborated maybe one-on-one, and now we're doing it together. It just brings the power of many resources to one spot," Mary K. Doherty, of CORA Services, said.