FERNDALE, Mich. (WXYZ) — Kimberly Natin was taking a nap when she woke to her daughter saying "the house is on fire!"
Inside the three bedroom ranch at the time was her her fiance, 4 daughters and 74-year-old mother in law- who is believed to have accidentally started the fire while smoking
All 7 of them were luckily able to escape safely. But while their health remains intact, their financial state is now in ruins with a home in need of major restoration.
Kimberly spoke to 7 Action News from a motel the Red Cross put her family up in for the week.
Her home is unlivable, with smoke damage throughout the whole house, charred surfaces, and a flood from the water hose used to put out the flames.
Kimberly is concerned about how she’ll make it through, having already taken a financial hit amid the COVID-19 crisis. Since the stay at home order went into effect, her hours were pulled back from full time to just one day a week.
"Really stressful, not working full time anymore and then having this happen, and I just don’t know how we’re going to do everything," Natin said.
Kimberly doesn’t have any other family to turn to, and homeless shelters are over capacity. But some in the community are beginning to answer this family’s call for help.
"That's devastating under any circumstance, but right now it’s just terrible, Just important to try and bring some good out of the bad," said Zach and Maggie of West Bloomfield who heard her story and felt compelled to act.
They've opened their hearts and wallet to to give the family an extended week of stay at a hotel. And they’re not the only ones pitching in, a GoFundMe page shows hundreds of strangers digging deep to give during uncertain times.
To those who have donated, Kimberly says: "From the bottom of my heart, I cannot thank you enough. Words cannot express how grateful we are, and it is a trying time for everyone and it just warms my heart that people are still stepping up regardless of that."
