The Richmond community has rallied to support the victims of a massive fire at a Steveston-area apartment building last week.

Firefighters responded to reports of the fire on Seventh Avenue near Steveston Highway just before 8 p.m. on Dec. 2.

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Two people were hospitalized, and approximately 18 units were damaged by fire, smoke, or water. No residents have been able to return to their homes.

On Friday, the Steveston Hub — a multi-use community space — announced it would begin accepting donations of clothes and other necessities to benefit the displaced residents.

By Sunday, the Steveston Hub was running low on available surface area to store all the donations.

“It’s just been phenomenal to see that people have opened up their hearts, and some have opened up their homes, their closets,” said Erica Macklin, who organized the drive.

Stacks of clothing, toys, and hygiene products were growing about as quickly as volunteers could deal with them — a physical manifestation of the community’s support.

Macklin says she was motivated by an overwhelming need to help.

“And I was just trying to think, ‘What can I do to help? What can I do?’”

She also started a Facebook page to help the victims make their needs heard. Macklin says the response has been astonishing, culminating in the donation drive.

“We just got flooded with messages and phone calls about, ‘We have lots of donations. What’s needed?’ It’s just — oh my goodness — this has become so much more.”

A member of the Church at the Hub, Barb Bunting, says it’s been amazing.

“All of the Steveston stores and business owners have really stepped up and assisted as well. The owner of Bosley’s brought all the dog food, SPCA came, all of the clothing stores have let us use the clothing racks,” Bunting explained.

“It’s just been an absolutely wonderful, unexpected show of generosity.”

Resident Riya Pandey was out for dinner when the fire started. She arrived to find her neighbours standing outside watching the flames.

While on a recent vacation, she says she missed a crucial email to renew her renter’s insurance — and it expired the day before the fire.

Since the residents haven’t been allowed back inside yet, Pandey still has no idea how much she’s lost.

“My very first concern was, ‘What am I going to do?’ I have two pairs of clothes, and I have nothing else,” said Pandey. “If we have to go, how are we going to even live? We will be on the road itself.”

She says she’s been kept afloat by the Red Cross and the outpouring of support from the Steveston neighbourhood.

“I can’t express the amount of gratefulness I have inside because no words can define it.”

The Steveston Hub will be open on evenings this week. Any donations that go unused will be donated to local charities.

Richmond Fire-Rescue says while its investigation is in the early stages, the cause of the fire is not considered suspicious at this time.