Trish Thompson's House Fire Fund

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

Trish Thompson, a full-time faculty member in the engineering department, experienced a devastating house fire on Friday, September 9th.

Trish was outside with her dogs, trying to enjoy the nice weather. Suddenly, her neighbor alerted her to smoke coming from the front of her house. Trish immediately called 911 and waited for help.

It was an electrical fire that originated in the kitchen. Despite arriving quickly, the firefighters had to remove part of the roof to let the heat and smoke out of her home. Trish's home now needs to be completely gutted to repair the damage, which will take 8 to 10 months. Most of her belongings are unsalvageable, including her clothing and all fabrics (bedding, towels, etc.), family heirloom furniture and personal items, electronics, and all necessities.

The Red Cross and other community groups have tried to provide temporary shelter and food to Trish and her dogs. Trish is exceptionally grateful for their help and stated that her commitment and desire to give back to the community are renewed. She is already offering her time to volunteer to help the groups assisting her. However, this help will not begin to cover everything that was lost. For example, today, I spoke to Trish on the phone while she was at the laundromat, desperately trying to salvage some of her clothing from smoke damage so she could return to teaching in the classroom next week.

Please consider donating today to relieve the financial burden on Trish during this overwhelming time and to support her purchasing needed items that were destroyed in the fire while she works to rebuild.

Thank you!

Sara Conroy