For more than 100 people left homeless by fire on Tuesday, the true spirit of the holidays manifested itself when the local Burnsville, MN community rallied to help. From people donating food and clothing, to students who collected over $5000, to an anonymous donor who gave $1 million to help those who lost everything they own, the spirit of giving is infectious.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune has the story below the fold:
Deluged by the kindness of strangers Tuesday, the victims of a fierce fire that destroyed a Burnsville apartment complex Monday will experience an equally blessed Christmas Eve today.
A check for more than $17,500 will be given to each displaced family -- many of them poor before losing everything in the Burncliff Apartments fire -- thanks to a $1 million anonymous gift announced Tuesday night. They'll also get their December rent and security deposits refunded and split $100,000 more in donations.
For more than 60 families left homeless by the fire, the news of such generosity came on the heels of a day of kindness after kindness, and left many in grateful tears.
I'm blown away," said Jackie Heller, one of the residents of the 64-unit Building A, which was destroyed. "Whoever it is, God bless you. I can't believe it. In 24 hours, I've gone from having absolutely nothing to having clothes, and now I'm going to have money to get an apartment and start over again."
I must admit that this story really touched me. While many people are struggling to pay their bills, they still were able to give to those less fortunate and touched by tragedy. This is a real holiday miracle made possible by the kindness of strangers. Every now and then you hear about something that renews your faith in the goodness of people, and this is one of those stories.
If you would like to help, donations can be made to the Twin Cities Red Cross.