Capital Region Responds To Tragic Albany Fire With Love and Support But Beware of Scammers

As we reported on Monday, the building located at 193 Lark Street in Albany suffered damage following a fire that broke out on Sunday November 2nd. Now the tenants that occupied this space need to find new homes. That includes the popular donut shop Bitchin' Donuts, which was located on the ground floor.

According to Albany Fire Chief Joseph Gregory, the fire began in a second-floor apartment kitchen. While the investigation remains active, early indications point to a cooking mishap as the likely cause. So, how can you help?

There are ways that the community can help but proceed with caution as there are reports of fake Venmo accounts that would appear to many to be the place to send money but it is not.

If you wish to send money to help Bitchin' Donuts get back in business, take a look at their Facebook post below. The Venmo account with the logo is FAKE. The account with the letter "T" is official. If you prefer to donate to the official GoFundMe account you may do so HERE. As of Tuesday morning, this fund had nearly reached it's goal of $9,000.

Many of you have asked how you can help. I’ll be honest, accepting help doesn’t come easily to me. I’m usually the one charging upstream, overachieving and figuring it all out myself. But right now, our best path forward is together. - Tania Sharlow, Owner of Bitchin' Donuts

What Bitchin' Donuts needs most at this moment is a temporary or permanent kitchen space. Ideally this space would have a hood and fire suppression system already in place. If you know of a space where Bitchin’ can set up and get back to work, please reach out.