“Truckloads” of donations were available for Fairwinds Lodge residents displaced by fire to sort through at Community of Christ Church in Sarnia Saturday.
“We have truckloads still left,” said church pastor Pat MacGregor, a little more than mid-way through a nine-hour window for people to pick up clothing, cosmetics, toiletries, and other essentials they’ve been short on since a fire that badly damaged the retirement home prompted the evacuation of 120 residents.
In the days following the Jan. 15 fire, deemed accidental by investigatorsMacGregor, also a dining room server at the home, said she made the call for donations.
“A lot of people lost everything,” said Lisa Rufo, a spokesperson with home owner Sienna Senior Living Inc. who was helping with the weekend event.
The response and donations from the community have been “amazing,” she said.
“Thousands of pieces of clothing, many brand new. Toiletries, eyeglasses, walkers, coats, shoes, everything,” she said, noting many people also called in asking how they could help.
“The goodwill and the generosity of the people in Sarnia is really the story here,” she said.
More than 100 residents had arrived to pick up items in the first few hours of the 9 am to 6 pm event, she said, noting they were accompanied by family members and personal support.
“It’s been phenomenal.”
The “truckloads” of donated goods remaining were destined for River City Vineyard and the St. Vincent de Paul Society, MacGregor said.
Some of the displaced residents are still staying at the Sunbridge Hotel and Conference Center in Point Edward, but there’s a transition plan in place, Rufo said.
At first, donations started arriving at the hotel directly, she said.
“But we quickly realized we were not going to be able to handle them there,” she said. “So then very quickly Pat opened up her church as the pastor here, so we’ve been directing everybody to come here” with donations.
“And boy have they.”
Fay Pole was among the displaced residents who came by the church Saturday.
She was looking for “a few clothes to wear until I get my clothes,” she said, noting her room was in a section of Fairwinds not damaged by fire.
She said residents have been well cared for in the aftermath.
“We’ve had everything we could possibly need for under the circumstances,” she said, calling the staff wonderful.