HOUGHTON — Former residents of the College Avenue apartment building and those affected in nearby buildings have been receiving aid since the fire and explosion that destroyed the building two weeks ago.

The Salvation Army has been acting as a clearing house to direct students to resources, said site director Pete Mackin.

“We’ve been doing our best, and the community’s been very supportive,” he said.”It’s been amazing to see all the good things in the community amidst all these bad things.”

The Salvation Army has helped fire victims with paperwork. Mackin helped a family zero out its energy bills to make future hook-up easier. The Salvation Army also assisted in replacing IDs that were destroyed in the fire.

People looking to donate for clothing should give to the St. Vincent de Paul store, which has partnered to provide clothes for free to fire victims, Mackin said. Love, Inc. is helping with replacement furniture for people who lost their homes.

The biggest need is for financial donations, as well as items like gas cards, Mackin said. Donations to the Salvation Army can be made at facebook.com/TheSalvationArmyHancockMI.

The Salvation Army is also accepting direct donations for toiletries and non-perishable foods. After the March 13 fire, the Salvation Army is also looking for new sweatpants, flip-flops and socks in any size.

“When somebody has a fire in the middle of the night and they’ve got slippers and a robe, they do need something to wear,” Mackin said.

An elderly couple who lived in the apartments is already in long-term housing, Mackin said.

Most of those affected are students at Michigan Technological University. The Dean of Students office is working closely with the impacted students and connecting them with resources, the university said in a statement.

Tech partnered with a local hotel to provide temporary short-term housing for 20 students affected by service interruptions during utility work after the fire. A majority of the students were able to return to their homes within five days after most utility services were restored, Tech said.

Housing also provided meal assistance to displaced students who requested it.

Seven students sustained property loss and could not return to their homes. Those students were provided with longer-term housing at the Daniell Heights apartments through June 30.

Affected students also received $500 emergency fund grants, Tech said. The university’s on-campus Husky FAN (food access network) pantry gave food and other groceries to students who lost everything in the fire. For immediate needs like warm jackets and boots, students were helped through Tech’s on-campus clothes closet.