The fire department received the call reporting the fire at 7:16 p.m., according to David Ferguson, media and communications coordinator for the city of New Braunfels.
The fire was reported to be under control at 9:06 p.m., and the final NBFD crew left the scene at 11:40 p.m., he said.
A portion of Common was temporarily closed as New Braunfels Fire Department crews worked to extinguish the flames.
Ellie Truan, shelter director for the crisis center, said all 14 clients and four staff members were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported.
Current shelter clients have been placed in other area shelters, and staff are awaiting a report from the insurance adjuster to determine the extent of the damage, she said. Staff hope to have a better understanding of the damages and likelihood that the building can be repaired April 15.
The fire damaged a large portion of the facility, Truan said, and donations that were stored in an upper level of the building likely suffered smoke damage.
Though the shelter cannot accept new shelter clients; other services such as case management, hotline services and counseling will continue to be available, according to the CCCC statement.
The organization is also accepting donations and specifically needs personal hygiene products, individually wrapped breakfast and snack items, and storage space for salvaged items from the facility.
Physical donations can be dropped off at the CCCC administration center located at 1528 E. Common St. from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekdays. Monetary donations can be made via paypal.me/ccccnbtx or through the organization’s website.
The crisis center was founded in 1986 as a women’s center before expanding in 2000 to become a nine-bedroom full-service emergency shelter, according to the organization.
To date the organization has served more than 1,500 individuals and provided counseling services, crisis response calls, prevention education and more.
“We are grateful for safe clients. We are grateful for all of the outpourings of love and assistance,” wrote Julie Strentzsch, CEO of CCCC, in a statement. “We will work diligently to rebuild so that we can continue to disrupt the cycle of violence through our comprehensive continuum of care.”
