After a devastating fire struck Michelle Letts’ home and destroyed most of her family’s belongings, students from two high schools rallied to help the family with donations of food, furniture and money.
At Herman and Walkerville high schools, where Letts’ sons attend, students raised a total of more than $1,100. The donations were presented to the family on Wednesday along with a turkey lunch at Herman.
“The community has really come together. A lot of stores, schools and just regular people in the community have really come out and helped us,” Letts said. “I never imagined that this would ever happen; in my wildest dreams, I had no idea it would be this big of an outpour.”
The family was burned out of their rented Ellis Street home Nov. 10. They had been staying with a friend after the fire and move into their new Windsor Housing home on Friday.
Letts’ sons have sickle-cell anemia, an incurable genetic blood disorder that can lead to complications such as pain, organ damage and stroke, according to the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. Letts is unable to work and relies on the Ontario Disability Support Program for her income.
To help the family, students at Herman, where Letts’ oldest son Dion Seibel, 17, attends, had to get creative with fundraising ideas. Herman students Kandice Wilson and Leo Gonzalez organized a fundraising “hat and iPod day,” raffled off a Cineplex gift basket and took donations from students and staff to raise $650.
“I felt like I should give back because I know what it feels like to not have anything and I think that it’s good to give back,” said Wilson, who has been friends with Dion since elementary school. “I’m happy that they’re going to have a good holiday now and that we raised a lot of money.”
At Walkerville, where Letts’ younger son Devin Seibel, 14, attends, brothers Liam and Lucas Palmer raised just under $500 through a school coin drive and donations from students and staff.
“Walkerville ran a charity yard sale in September and we still had a lot of email contacts from then,” Lucas said. “So we sent some (emails) out and everyone who replied back made really generous donations.”
The donations included an entire kitchen worth of appliances.
Letts said she was overcome by the community’s support.
“You really find out who your friends are and the people who really care for you. Sometimes perfect strangers can be better than even family,” she said.
Michelle Letts speaks at Herman High School where students and teachers from both Herman and Walkerville High Schools donated a generous gift card and household items following a fire at Letts’ home, December 19, 2012. (NICK BRANCACCIO/The Windsor Star)
