Mom, five kids, very grateful for community generosity
Best Buy donates gaming system; funding coming in
The community continues to rally around a family that lost everything in a townhouse fire on Sydenham Road in the city’s southeast end early Tuesday morning.
Two crowdfunding pages set up Tuesday to assist a single mother and her five children have raised more than $1,100 as of mid-afternoon Thursday.
Best Buy on Lansdowne Street West also donated a PlayStation 4 gaming system after employee Trina Bradshaw saw a Facebook post by Julie Brotherstone-Hartwick, who asked if anyone could help replace one lost in the blaze.
On Thursday morning, the mother picked up the console — as well as some games and a second controller the store threw in — with plans to surprise her children after they returned from their first day back to school.
“She was quite happy and overwhelmed,” said Best Buy general manager Greg Beard, who said the company was happy to bring some joy to the family after the tragedy.
Brotherstone-Hartwick, a Millbrook woman who works
with the children’s father, praised the Lansdowne Street West store for the donation.
“We live in an awesome community folks!” she posted on Facebook.
Brotherstone-Hartwick has been helping the displaced family through Helping the Homeless Peterborough, such as by preparing meals. The family, which was assisted by the Peterborough County-City Disaster Trust Fund, remains in a hotel.
The group is still working on creating a list of items that the family needs most, but she said what would be most useful would be gift cards to help the kids purchase clothing that fits and is suitable for them, for example.
Those who wish to donate gift cards can message the group through its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ groups/243919772951876/.
The community support has meant a lot to the family, Brotherstone-Hartwick stated. “She’s so grateful to everyone.”
No one was hurt in the fire, which broke out at about 1:40 a.m. Damage to the home was estimated at $100,000.
A page set up by Rob Ward at www.gofundme.com/help-raisemoney-for-doug039s-family has raised $246 toward a $1,000 goal.
And another page set up by Josh Cork at www.gofundme.com/single-motheramp-5-childrens-home-lost-infire has raised $900 toward at $5,000 goal.
“Their home is gone and all of their clothes and possessions. After a couple days they will have no where to go. Thankful everyone is safe. Any help would be gratefully appreciated.”