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Children's Toy Maker Suffers Total Loss in Fire

On June 8th, 2022, my parents, David and Susan Smalley, watched helplessly as a massive fire destroyed their home, all earthly possessions, and family business. Besides the devastation from such a tragic event, the loss was even more catastrophic as neither the house nor the business was insured. No insurance companies would provide a policy due to how remote their home was and the fact that a volunteer fire crew services the town. Now in their 70's, with no savings, retirement funds or insurance payout that might allow them to rebuild, my parents are faced with the grim reality of having to start over. All this at a time when they should be enjoying their golden years. The business and means of providing an income for themselves that they built over the last 35 years are gone, and their health is rapidly failing.


The night of the fire my father awoke at 2:00 am to the strong smell of smoke. The frantic sounds of the family dog barking caused him to look out the window and see his entire manufacturing building engulfed in flames. My parents tried to call 911 for help, but found the phone lines had already been destroyed by fire. With the electrical lines also burned there was no power. They were left fumbling around in the dark as they raced to get out of the home. The inferno from a workshop filled with wooden materials, and an extensive inventory of completed toys, fueled the flames and it rapidly spread to the main house. My parents escaped with only the clothes on their backs. Having no cell signal they were forced to drive miles to the nearest neighbor to seek assistance, but by the time the fire crews finally reached the property it was too late. In the middle of the night and no way to communicate with any of their children, my parents were left with only each other's shoulders to cry on, watching their dreams turn to ashes before their eyes.


As one might expect, anyone in the toy making business has a big heart, and my father is no exception. For nearly four decades he poured all his energy into making hundreds of thousands of children’s dreams come true with the toys he designed and built. During the same time period he took what was once an abandoned old farmhouse without running water and turned it into a glorious home for our family. Over the years whenever tragedy struck my parents were always there to help, both with those they knew, and more importantly, with those they didn’t.

• When a deadly tornado ripped through the town of Vilonia, Arkansas my parents learned of a father who died protecting his wife and young daughters in the storm. They raised money for the family and donated toys to help them rebuild their lives.

• The day my parents found out that my elderly neighbor was raising her young granddaughter on her own with a fixed income they sent a doll house, furniture and dollhouse people as a surprise Christmas gift to her house.

• More than once my parents have been contacted and asked to create custom toys for children with rare forms of dwarfism and each time they eagerly took on the task to the delight of those families.

• Early on in their business my parents chose to share their toys with needy children and this became a tradition in my father’s business every year during the Christmas holiday season. They would ask their customers to let them know of any families who’d suffered a loss or had a sick child, (or even a sick parent), that might need something special for their children. The stories would be sent to my parents and they’d determine which families had the greatest need. Some had lost their homes in fires, a mother to cancer, a father in a war overseas, and still others had been victims of natural disasters. Many times a customer would contact them telling of a sick or handicapped child, and then my father would create a special kitchen to accommodate those children’s disabilities. For obvious reasons, this quickly became a favorite time of year in the business as they chose the gifts and packed them up to be shipped all over the country. That pattern of giving back became known as 'Hope Kitchens'. Every year the families, or children that needed the most ‘hope’ were sent one of the beautiful wooden play kitchens made by my parents’ business for Christmas or Hanukkah.

These are the kind of people my parents are.



For those of you that have heard me speak of my parents before, you know that my father has an indomitable spirit. It is from my Dad's example that I learned the merits of hard work. I also learned not to be afraid to try to do something that I'd never done before. These skills have served me in so many ways throughout my life and helped me to become the person I am today.

My mother helped me foster my love of nature at a very young age and they both taught me to have a deep appreciation for beauty. I can say with certainty that without both of their efforts I would not be the person I am today, nor do the work that I do. Any goodness in me was shaped by them in my formative years, and for that I am most grateful.


These are my parents who have spent a lifetime giving that now need the help of others. Please donate any amount you can and share this with as many people as you know that might be willing to assist them in putting their broken life back together. Every donation no matter how small will help them!
The funds raised by this campaign will be spent on rehousing my parents, paying to establish utility services, furnishing a home for them, and buying clothing and personal items lost in the fire. Hopefully through the generosity of many my parents will be able to re-establish their business on a separate property and buy the tools and materials needed to begin toy production. With that they will have a way to support themselves once again. Together we can demonstrate the message from the classic movie, It's A Wonderful Life…
"No man is a failure that has friends."
My deepest thanks for your generosity and willingness to help my parents recover from this unimaginable loss!
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Donations 

  • Jennifer Sherry
    • $111 
    • 1 yr
  • Anonymous
    • $100 
    • 1 yr
  • Anonymous
    • $50 
    • 2 yrs
  • Jennifer Frazier
    • $20 
    • 2 yrs
  • Anonymous
    • $20 
    • 2 yrs
Donate

Organizer and beneficiary

Nathaniel Smalley
Organizer
Yarmouth, ME
David Smalley
Beneficiary

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