Marecle Home destroyed in fire.

I met Wendy Marecle through Belleville Area Kiwanis, a club dedicated to improving the lives of children one community at a time. She helped recruit me to the club that is very important to both of us. Wendy is an active member in many volunteer activities in our community and one of the kindest and most generous people I know. A few days ago, I learned that while she and her husband, Wayne were returning from vacation, their home caught fire due to an electrical malfunction in their basement. She has given me permission to share their story.

Wendy and Wayne Marecle have been married for almost 30 years. They moved into their beautiful home in Van Buren Twp 24 years ago. They have two daughters, Serena 20 and Sevanah 18. On October 10th, Sevanah was home alone and asleep. She got hot and woke to discover the power was out. When she looked outside, she noticed all the neighbors had power. She was perplexed and called her dad who was at the luggage carousel at the airport. While talking to Wayne, she noticed smoke coming through her vent. Her dad urged her to run outside and call 911. A few minutes later, the fire department arrived and saw flames coming through the living room floor. The firefighters had to cut large holes into the home to get water to the basement so they could fight the fire. The home and the contents are covered in soot. There is significant structural damage due to the fire and water used to fight the flames. It is estimated that the family will be displaced 6 months to one year.

Wendy is a business owner, she operates SAM Cleaning & Janitorial from her home office. Much of her cleaning equipment and supplies were stored at her home. She needs to purchase new cleaning supplies and equipment before she can get back to work. Her computer that contained essential documents for her business has been damaged by water. Wendy is a member of the Belleville Area Kiwanis and has previously served as President, Vice President, Board Member and Key Club Advisor. Wendy volunteered weekly for Friday Fill-up a food gathering and distribution service for vulnerable community members. Wendy has an entrepreneurial spirit and participates in direct sales.

Wayne works for Ford at the Rawsonville Plant. He is an electrician and was pivotal is working on a ventilator project in the aftermath of COVID. Sevanah is a two-time cancer survivor. She is currently a student at Washtenaw Technical Middle College where she takes both high school and college classes. She was scheduled to graduate in December 2021. Serena is a senior at Central Michigan University where she is majoring in Neuroscience, she is scheduled to graduate in May 2022.

The family is currently staying in a hotel while they work with their insurance company to find a home to rent. They were able to recover very few items from the home. They need food, clothing and toiletries urgently. The Marecle family needs as much financial support as possible at this time. I hope that this story helps you to understand that this family has given to the community for years and is now in need of our support.