Helping a family who lost it all
By Leila Shipsey
A family of five, whose name has not been released, has been left homeless by a raging fire that consumed their home, 18434 Rim Rock Circle in the Lakes at Red Rock subdivision in Leesburg, June 28.
The fire caused $600,000 in damage, and the house was completely destroyed, according to Loudoun County Fire-Rescue.
To help the family, two neighboring moms, Soosie Skinner and Peggy Tyree, and their children have raised more than $1,000 in two days by going door-to-door in the Spring Lakes community.
“They don't have anything now,” Skinner said. “Driving by the house doesn't really do it justice. You go inside and it's charred. It's burned. It's melted. I cried when I came home after I saw it.”
The two families live in Spring Lakes, a neighboring development, and after seeing the charred remains of the home on Sunday, Skinner said she and Tyree knew they had to do something.
“A lot of people want to help but don't know what they can do. So, they don't do anything.” Skinner said. “[The family] has three boys. We just want to help them out.”
So Skinner hit the pavement with her four children, ages 10, 8, 5, and 3, and with Tyree and her two boys, 9 and 3. They gathered $775 on Monday. After knocking on some more doors on Tuesday, they totaled more than $1,000.
Skinner said they will continue to try to help the family by pulling together a community bake sale or large event. And if any business is willing to match the efforts the community makes, Skinner said, she would be thrilled.
“$1,000 from a business, to match $1,000 we raise, may not be much to them, but it is [to the family],” she said.
Donations of any material or monetary value are needed to help this family.
“I asked [the mother of the burned home] what kind of donations they need,” Skinner said. “She said, 'Even a blender.' They lost everything.”
Keep checking this story for updates on how to donate.