Mick's Helena St. Home Fire
Donation protected
The last time I saw Mickey's number register on my caller ID it was his sister Lou calling after he had been hauled away in an ambulance with a heart attack. When I saw his number on the evening of Thursday Dec. 16, I immediately feared another tragedy had befallen them. I was right. He was rushing home from the west side after getting a call from his sister, whom he lives with and cares for, that their home was on fire.
Living just blocks away, I rushed over. I was comforted to find Lou well, in the care of neighbors who had kindly turned their living room in to a place for responders to meet, consult, console and keep warm.
The first sadness was in seeing the home which I later heard described as a total loss. The second sadness was in seeing a firefighter carry from the home one of their small white (eskie) American Eskimo dogs. While the firefighters tried to revive the dog, this pet and two more, another dog an a cat, would perish.
The remainder of the evening was filled with reminders of the many ways this tragedy will affect Lou and Mickey's daily lives, today, tomorrow and years from now. Prescription medicine, health aids, memorabilia, family treasures, all gone.
In the same way I was inspired to see neighbors opening their home to help, I returned home to see other neighbors discussing, searching online for ways to connect and ways to help. It is what our neighborhood does, it is who we are. Here one way we can all help now.
There will be innumerable expenses in rebuilding their lives on Helena. While the property was insured, I cannot imagine the financial expense of replacing all that is not covered and the costs of all that will be involved in finding temporary housing, re-building, re-establishing their lives to some sort of normal. The goal of $10,000 is likeley modest as it relates to the true cost of all that will be involved but I am sure it will help and it will be appreciated. Should any surpluses be realized, I am confident it will be directed to either a local pet friendly charity or the Red Cross, who helped connect Mickey and Lou with medical resources and will see that they had warm and safe housing the first few nights.
I am fortunate to have seen our neighborhood unite every summer to raise money through great events like Atwoodfest and see that money spent on things that make our community stronger. Let's use that strength, share that strength with Mickey and Lou, who just 10 days from Chirstmas lost their home.
Mickey Reynolds is always there for a friend, is giving of himself in every way. He is the sole income earner and for the last decade has been his sister's primary care-giver. Mick, Mike, Mickey, Michael, is not one to ask for help, but I want to see that he receives as much as we can give.
Thank You,
Ben Anton
Living just blocks away, I rushed over. I was comforted to find Lou well, in the care of neighbors who had kindly turned their living room in to a place for responders to meet, consult, console and keep warm.
The first sadness was in seeing the home which I later heard described as a total loss. The second sadness was in seeing a firefighter carry from the home one of their small white (eskie) American Eskimo dogs. While the firefighters tried to revive the dog, this pet and two more, another dog an a cat, would perish.
The remainder of the evening was filled with reminders of the many ways this tragedy will affect Lou and Mickey's daily lives, today, tomorrow and years from now. Prescription medicine, health aids, memorabilia, family treasures, all gone.
In the same way I was inspired to see neighbors opening their home to help, I returned home to see other neighbors discussing, searching online for ways to connect and ways to help. It is what our neighborhood does, it is who we are. Here one way we can all help now.
There will be innumerable expenses in rebuilding their lives on Helena. While the property was insured, I cannot imagine the financial expense of replacing all that is not covered and the costs of all that will be involved in finding temporary housing, re-building, re-establishing their lives to some sort of normal. The goal of $10,000 is likeley modest as it relates to the true cost of all that will be involved but I am sure it will help and it will be appreciated. Should any surpluses be realized, I am confident it will be directed to either a local pet friendly charity or the Red Cross, who helped connect Mickey and Lou with medical resources and will see that they had warm and safe housing the first few nights.
I am fortunate to have seen our neighborhood unite every summer to raise money through great events like Atwoodfest and see that money spent on things that make our community stronger. Let's use that strength, share that strength with Mickey and Lou, who just 10 days from Chirstmas lost their home.
Mickey Reynolds is always there for a friend, is giving of himself in every way. He is the sole income earner and for the last decade has been his sister's primary care-giver. Mick, Mike, Mickey, Michael, is not one to ask for help, but I want to see that he receives as much as we can give.
Thank You,
Ben Anton
Organiser and beneficiary
Ben Anton
Organiser
Madison, WI
Michael Reynolds
Beneficiary
