Help Cara and Malcolm Rebuild After Hampden Fire

On Oct 15, Cara and Malcolm lost their home in a fire. Cara woke up to the smoke alarm, grabbed her dog Lily, and ran out of her house with nothing but the clothes on her back. The fire started at the house next door and then spread to their home and 8 others. Cara posted: “Many people’s lives are devastated by this and will never be the same, including mine. Our house is a total loss because the structural integrity was so damaged that they had to tear the whole thing down for safety. We were not able to go back in at all or get anything out. We lost literally everything but the clothes on our back. I was able to save our dog Lily but lost our two cats to smoke inhalation. I’m so sad I left them in there but I had to leave so fast when I woke up to a house full of smoke and my front porch on fire.

We’re staying with friends, safe, and supported. I honestly have been in a mix of numb shock and incredibly devastated all day but I have cried the most about being moved by the generosity and solidarity of community. I left my house in little clothes and no shoes and had a blanket wrapped around me and a neighbor’s slippers on within 10 minutes….Everyone who has reached out to Malcolm and I

has made me feel so loved and supported and gives me a sense of grounding that I need so much right now. I’m really blown away. In so many ways. Thank you to everyone. We are going to be okay”. If you would like to be a part of the community support for Cara and Malcolm over the coming months, please consider a gift to help them rebuild their lives as they find a new home and deal with all of the complex challenges that come with starting over.