How residents can aid in the aftermath of the Coats Road tragedy

In the wake of the tragedy, Orion Twp. Supervisor Chris Barnett said dozens of people have contacted his office asking how they can help the Dominguez family.

“Officials from Orion Township and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office met with the surviving immediate family members to discuss how the community can support them in this time of need. The Dominguez family is part of our Orion family, but at this time asks for privacy as they grieve,” Barnett said.

“The community always steps up. We think they had insurance, we don’t know for sure, so that will figure in. I’ve probably gotten a dozen phone calls from people today saying they want to help. ‘What can we do to help? We’ll set up a drop location.

“We’ll coordinate that; we’ll see exactly what their needs are. We appreciate everyone’s generosity but we want to make sure we’re giving them what they need. So right now, it’s just too early to say what that is,” Barnett said.

The online community, such as The Lake Orion Chat Room, has been flooded with prayers and condolences for the family and offers of assistance.

Residents can contribute financially. The township does not yet have a list of items – such as clothing, home goods or other necessities – that the family needs, but will share those needs with the community as soon as they are determined, Barnett said.

• Barnett has set up a GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/dominguez-family.

• Resident Jennifer Lyn set up a GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/lake-orion-angels.

• King of Kings Church, 1715 S. Lapeer Rd., will accept donations for those who wish to contribute in person.

• Northern Flooring, 845 S. Lapeer Rd., will accept donations and pass those along to Orion Township or the family directly. Owner Matt Pfeiffer said residents can drop off checks, gift cards and cash and prepaid credit cards.

“This family is definitely going through a horrible time right now. They need a lot of support. Anyone who wants to help, we’ll pass those along to the family,” Pfeiffer said.

Barnett said he’s always amazed at the level of support Orion residents show when a tragedy strikes.

“Orion cares like no other. We certainly step up. We will certainly be supporting Kym and the Dominguez family through this process.”

“People want to help. That’s the most amazing thing. Honestly, there’s been dozens of emails and calls to my office today from people saying, ‘Hey, let us know what we can do.’”

“Not only does this family appreciate it, it makes me feel proud of our community,” he said.

— By Jim Newell