Community comes to family’s aid

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GoFundMe page.”

By dinner-time on Tuesday, the fundraising amount reached $12,600, the Gilmores said.

Networking is a skill that has produced results.

“We’ve lived long enough and been in enough places that we have developed groups” Marcia said. “We call someone in those groups so they can spread the work. We have been networking: Calling up friends and family members who are working for large companies, networking through colleges We both contacted our graduating classes from high school and college. Every day we ask, ‘Did we remember to contact so-and-so?’ All of a sudden, we remember another group.”

The generosity of others has been mind-boggling.

“I have to say whether, it is $10 or $20 or $100, people have been so kind and generous. The people of Naples — the word got out. The clothing collection happened immediately. I called up there and said, ‘How fast can we put together the stuff they need for school?’

My goal as a grandmother was to get them back to normal by Monday morning. Can we replace the books, replace the computers? A neighbor [in Naples] brought over two backpacks for the younger boys. The people of Naples have been extraordinary. Everyone has been wonderful,” Marcia said.

The community help has been much appreciated. Also, the family is incredibly thankful that Kristin and the boys escaped the fire when they did.

“There’s a silver lining: If the fire broke out later in the evening, everyone would have been in bed and they might not have got out,” Andy said.

“Nobody had gone to bed yet,” Marcia added.

“Timing is everything,” Andy said. “At the speed in which the house went up, it was on the ground in about a half an hour.”

“It has been eye-opening for us. We have never gone through a house fire. I cannot imagine what my daughter and her kids are going through. The kids were sad because three pets didn’t make it out of house. They got out with two, and three didn’t make it. That can be disturbing on top of everything else,” he said.

GoFundMe for House Fire

Andy said even though he considers himself computer literate, starting the GoFundMe page was a bit of a learning curve. But, he stuck with it and launched the page a day after the fire happened. This is what he wrote:

“On Thursday evening, Feb. 2, our daughter, a single mother and her three boys, became homeless. In the short span of 20 minutes, their house in the rural community of Naples, Maine burned to the ground. They lost everything. They barely managed to escape with the clothes on their backs.

The two youngest boys, in [middle school] and high school, lost all their clothing, school equipment, computers, athletic gear; and the oldest boy, in college nearby, also lost everything of his that wasn’t in his dorm room at school. All of this on the coldest night of the season.”

“Worse, the house was uninsured and my daughter is currently unemployed and looking for work. She is a college graduate with a dual degree in finance and economics and is eminently employable, but it will still take her and her family a while to get back on their feet financially. In the meantime, she doesn’t even have her pocketbook or phone.”

Jackie Harlow, a neighbor on Chaplins Mill Road in Naples, echoed Andy’s description of the family losing everything in the fast-moving fire.

“She had no phone, no purse. She physically had the clothes on her back when she left that house,” Harlow said.

“The fact that they were able to get out of the house without injury is something anyone would be thankful for. They did lose a few pets, which is obviously challenging. They are members of the family so that is never easy,” she said.

On the night of the fire, a police officer knocked on her door “and let us know there was a fire next door,” she said.

“Kristin is a volunteer locally for the high school and our athletic boosters. She donates a lot of her time to help the children in the area,” she said.

“I am trying to help, to be an essential point of contact for her. I’ve asked if it is helpful for her,” Harlow said.

“I’ve been helping to pick up and drop off items for anyone who is interested in donating. The immediate need was clothes. Our community is amazing. They are fantastic. They have come through. I cannot put it into words. We’ve collected clothes, backpacks, items for the animals so they were safe where they were staying,” she said.

FAMILY, Page 3A

HEALTH CLUB OPENS

— The Greater Bridgton Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting to welcome Sole•Ful Health Club in Bridgton (5 Sustainable Way, off Portland Road) followed by an open house. Sole•Ful Health Club is the first boutique, upscale fitness facility in the area. The Club is equipped with stateof-the-art fitness equipment and air filtration systems. “Our top priority is health and safety. We keep our Club clean, calm, and inviting to create a productive workout environment for every member,” owner Justin McIver said. Pictured left to right: Brendon Cook, Brad Bonney, Heidi Edwards, Steve Richard of Main Eco Homes, Rachel, Chamber Executive Director Angie Cook, Ed, Bernadette McIver of The Lakes Real Estate, Justin McIver of MEH, Bridgton Town Manager Bob Peabody, Bridgton Community Development Coordinator Tori Hill, Nick Orgo of Stella’s on the Square, Brian Sullivan, Dennis McIver, Mick Early, Bridgton Deputy Town Manager Georgiann Fleck, Dan Harden of Sunrise Management and other community members. “Society doesn’t value and prioritize health and wellness as much as we should. If your body feels better, so does your mind. Epidemiological studies reveal that individuals who engage in regular aerobic exercise are less likely to use and abuse illicit drugs, and decrease anxiety and depression which is so prevalent in our society. In order for us to have the best community in Bridgton and the Lake Region, we need to come together and put health first. This is a cultural shift that needs to happen. Without your health nothing else matters.” Sole•Ful plans to hire a personal trainer within the next couple weeks and planning group classes in May. For more information, check the website: www.solefulhealthclub.com