Upton Daily reported on a fire which displaced Paula Sherwin and her family this past May. Words can’t express Paula’s gratitude for all the acts of kindness the community has shown her and her family.
Paula shared, “We live in a truly amazing community; the kindness of strangers and neighbors is remarkable. I’m not sure if we would have had this support somewhere else.” The amount of generosity in the form of clothes, toys, gift cards, furniture, bedding, dinners, and just plain emotional support has been inspiring for Paula and her girls. Paula said, “You can say the one good thing which has come out of this is you find out what remarkable friends you have and what a beautiful community we live in.” Paula is overwhelmed by the support and recognizes her children will come out of this knowing how kind and caring people can be. Paula noted, “This experience could have been so different without the support the community has shown.”
After the fire, Paula and her family were stranded without a home, without a car, and only had the clothes they were wearing the night they escaped from the fire.
The first act of kindness came from her neighbors who opened their doors to her while her home was burning. Then Upton EMT Mark Maljanian cared for her injured cats, providing oxygen with a specially outfitted oxygen mask. One of her three cats was in rough shape and he sat with him for a while providing oxygen. Paula said, “He’s the reason the cat survived.”
Within hours the Red Cross was on scene. They provided her family with flip flops, blankets, and food. Paula Sherwin and her daughters were 3 of 86 people the Red Cross provided emergency assistance for a fire in Central Massachusetts during May of 2013.
Since the fire everything has been a blur and everything is in a state of flux. Paula expressed how lucky she is to live in a community where so many people have lent out their hands and opened their hearts to help her through this very difficult time.
The Upton Bloomer Girls organized a gift card drive and people were extremely generous. They also sent her a care a package with cleaning supplies, containers for food, towels and other items. The Upton Men’s Club volunteered to take care of her yard, including planting all the plants she had purchased just before the fire.
Her two daughers returned to school immediately after the fire. Paula said, “The counselors at Clough and Miscoe Hill were amazing. It was so helpful to have someone calm to sit with. Victoria Beauregard (a counselor at Miscoe) sat with me and helped me compose a list of things I may need.” Both schools organized collection boxes where people in the community could donate items. Victoria Beauregard delivered the donations to Paula’s temporary home. The classmates of Sierra, Paula’s youngest daughter, donated stuffed cuddle toys.
Her neighbors and friends made dinners and helped her wash clothing that didn’t burn in the fire. Sue Hamilton of Crossroads in Upton also collected donations at Crossroads. Many people emailed Paula or reached out to her in a variety of ways to see what they could do to help.
Sangita Tamborra organized a drive on facebook to assist Paula in finding used furniture to use in her temporary residence. Julia Blackburn gave her bedroom furniture and Joan and Peter in Mendon gave her a dining room set. Paula said, “People have been so generous and so thoughtful.”
Bill McCormick helped secure a place in Upton for her to rent while her house is restored. Davidson and Nealy Construction came to her home the day following the fire to see if she was okay. Paula said they are now working on the reconstruction and she is very happy with their work and how fast they are working to get it done.
Craftech, a local restoration company, has been fantastic. Paula said, “They have to go through all your personal stuff, everything. They have been the most respectful, nicest people.”
Paula can’t say enough about the Upton Fire Department, how quickly they responded. She also wanted Firefighter Bonnie to get special recognition for the fantastic program she runs with the kids at the schools. Paula believes it’s because of Bonnie her daughters knew what to do; they knew to leave the house when they heard the alarm go off. Paula said, “Bonnie does a great job with the program.”
There are many people who helped; some neighbors, some friends, some strangers. Paula would like everyone to know how much their help is appreciated. She sends this message to the community, “Thank you to everyone who helped. We live in a really nice place. I feel blessed by the generosity and thoughtfulness of the community. Thank you!”
Paula and her family continue to rebuild their home, their strength, and their sense of security. They hope to move back in to their home before Christmas.
Watch for a folow up post on how the Sherwins escaped the fire
UPTON DAILY 