Needed are clothes (boys, size 4T to 5T; shoe size 10 1/2 to 11; wife, believed to be a petite , size 8 or 9) and toys, books, games, arts stuff -- "anything you can think of for 3 1/2-year-olds."
The Boston Globe reported that the blaze, which damaged a neighboring two-family, caused an estimated loss of $600,000.
On April 6, Margit Griffith updated her earlier report:
House at 18-20 Thorndike Street engulfed in flame April 1 before firefighters arrived. Shot taken by a neighbor on Fairmont.
I just spoke with Beth Silveria, the woman whose family has been permanently displaced by the fire. Her boys are with her parents in N.Y., she and her husband are here looking at apartments -- three yesterday, three today.
They hope to find a place and get some furniture in before they bring the boys back. At this point, it could be within the next couple of weeks -- hopefully, not longer than that.
They did have renters' insurance. The insurance company has been very kind and easy to work with. However, there's a bit of lag time between when they'll get reimbursed and when they would like to have a home for their boys to return to -- and get back to being a family.
For those of you who have offered furniture -- can you hold onto it for another week or two? They will not refuse any items in relatively good condition ... beds, dressers, sofa, chairs, dining table and chairs, coffee tables, entertainment center, desk, bookcases.
For those of you who would like to donate smaller stuff -- do you have clean and gently used ... dishes, glasses, silverware, cookware, bedding (sheets, pillows, blankets, quilts, etc.), towels, lamps, phone, microwave, TV, computer/monitor, DVD/VCR player, coffee maker, toaster, etc. Basically, look around your house at what you use every day -- they don't have any of it!
These items can be dropped of here (19 Webcowet Road).
If you'd like to contribute, but don't have any "stuff" -- please consider ... a gift card to Bed, Bath & Beyond, Linens N' Things, Target -- can be dropped off here.
Thanks to all of you who have already responded. I've got a pile of clothes and toys for the boys waiting already. Beth said they have a minivan and will be happy to start picking things up once they have a place to put it (optimistically, next week??). They just can't thank everyone enough -- even though they don't have things in hand, just knowing this support is out there has made this whole ordeal bearable.
Earlier report:
"The house partly belongs (ed) to my neighbors. Mark and his brother bought it together and each took a floor; Mark and his young family started out there. When their mother was ready to down-size, Mark bought the house next to mine.
"They rented out the second floor of Thorndike St.; Ronnie lives (ed) on the first floor. The second floor is just about a total loss, the first floor is not much better.
"My neighbor is going to contact them to let them know that Arlington wants to help and I'll be better able to list their specific needs. I'm sure they're in the midst of coming to terms with what's happened and aren't ready to give us a list as yet, but I'm sure they could use the following."
Enuma Elish
performs "Metropolis" Thursday, Nov. 20, at 8 p.m. at the Regent
Theater. General admission...
