Rebuild the Clark home!!!

On Tuesday, December 2, 2014 I had just returned from my lunch break when I received a call from my sister-in-law.  I had a lot of difficulty understanding her, until suddenly I was able to make it out “please return all of our Christmas presents.”  My sister-in-law is one of the most level headed and calm people that I know, so at this point warning bells were going off in my head.  “What?!”  I said, “Why?  What’s going on?”  To which she replied simply “my house is burning down.”  I couldn’t tell you what else was said, I was able to establish that everyone was okay, and that was the most important thing.  I told her how much we loved her, and that they all had a home with us.  All the while, I was making my way to my husband’s department (we’re with the same company) to tell him what had happened. We left work for the day and headed out to be with my mother-in-law, sister-in-law, her fiancé, and their two boys; and arrived just in time to see the AMAZING firefighters emerge from the house carrying boxes with the boys’ (ages 5 & 6) Christmas gifts.  After all was said and done, it was determined that fire (cause by faulty electrical wiring) had completely destroyed my mother-in-laws quarters located in the upper portion of the house, and much of the upper level had fallen into the lower level, doing more damage to what had already been infiltrated by smoke and water from the fire hoses.  All in all, it seems it will be a total loss.  Unfortunately, the home was uninsured because nobody would cover a home with asbestos shingles, which they simply didn’t yet have the funds to replace.  We are so grateful that they are all okay, we are so grateful that we are all able to accommodate them as they get back onto their feet.  We are also so grateful, and so blessed, that the company that they had financed through decided, as a Christmas gift, to write off the rest of their home loan- now, even with a total rebuild required; at least they own the land!  We are so grateful that the fire department did such an amazing job, and went above and beyond what we ever expected of them.  But now, it is time for us to be proactive.  The amount of community support and the outpouring of love have been inspiring, and we have been truly awe stricken by all of the aforementioned.  Donations and calls have been coming in like mad, and while it is AMAZING to feel so much love, they have also become a little overwhelmed as we are still sorting through and taking stock.  While all of the offers of furniture, appliances, and the like are very appreciated (more so than anyone could ever know), they have no home to put them in, nor a place to land and take stock of what it is that they are missing and might need.  So we have decided to set up a fund, a place for people to come and donate towards the building of a new place for them to call home.  A place for them to land, on their feet – to once again have their own beds, their own dinner table, their own sense of normalcy that has been taken from them.  Any little bit helps, and we are all so very, very grateful for every ounce of compassion and assistance that has been offered!