Amazing baby shower for new friends

[Stella]

I just had to share this lovely story with all of you. This past Thursday 5 homes in my neighborhood burned in a very damaging fire. One of the families that was displaced was a couple who are 38 weeks pregnant. Even as the fire crews were putting out the flames we decided, over a facebook discussion, that we needed to do something to help our pregnant neighbor. Today we held a baby shower for them to replace their lost baby stuff.

It was amazing. Half the neighborhood either showed up or dropped something off! We had people ranging in age from early 20s to their late 80s. Several people were talking about the baby shower to the cashier at the store they were shopping at and had some random person who had heard about the fire buy something and send it along for the couple. We've got lists going of baby stuff people have to hand down to them. It was just so nice to see a community pulling together to support their own.

[redfox]

Beautiful.

[Zoebird]

very cool indeed. it's amazing how much tragedy does this, too.

i remember i lived in a pretty closed off, cold neighborhood, but then 3 townhomes went down in flames. 3 families displaced, and two of those families lost pets. the whole neighborhood was massively supportive, organizing everything from new school clothes and supplies to meals, to accommodation after insurance and red cross accommodations would no longer work. it was very cool.

after that, the neighborhood changed directions. the family who held control of the community board (and therefore all planning, etc) was "overthrown" by the new community organizer, and then it was a lot more fun with block parties, community events, and all sorts of awesome things.

which reminds me, i need to plan a baby shower for my friends -- who are newly here from canada. no family, and a few work friends (his friends), and so hopefully we can get something rolled out for them. :)

[Mrs-M]

A lovely story indeed. So happy this makes me. Thanks for sharing with us Stella.

[iris lily]

How did 5 houses burn? wow, that's a pretty bad disaster.

[Rosemary]

Very sad about the fire - another of our friends lives there but was not impacted. Fabulous that everyone is working together to help each other.

[djen]

How did 5 houses burn? wow, that's a pretty bad disaster.

I was wondering the same thing. How awful!

I'm glad the new family was taken care of, and so quickly! I've always felt extra vulnerable when I've been pregnant, than must have helped them feel so much better. Your post made me smile :)

[Stella]

They were townhouses. It started on the upper floors and spread through the attic. A lot of places around here have been outfitted with some kind of fire protection between the homes, but it doesn't sound like these were.

My house was in a horrible fire in the 1980s (horrible because it was started by a teen who then shot himself after starting it) and when they did the restoration they brought it up to code to prevent it from spreading.

[djen]

Oh, that makes perfect sense! I should have thought of that myself because my husband (boyfriend at the time) was renting a townhouse in college and the neighboring row burned because all of the garages were attached. It was arson, and all 6 townhomes burned completely down. So scary!

[jennipurrr]

That is awful to hear about the fire, but what a great story about the response