Single mom Alisha Hill stood outside her burned-out house in Leesburg on Sunday afternoon, just two days before Christmas, wondering what would happen to her and her four children.
Inside the two-bedroom house on Beecher Street, the only thing that wasn’t destroyed was the Christmas tree. White in color and fully decorated, it was standing all alone in a corner among ruined furniture, collapsed pieces of the ceiling, soaked and charred furniture and the smell of burned insulation that quickly irritates the nostrils and makes one’s eyes burn within seconds.
Standing in the front yard and looking at the charred structure that contains everything Hill and her children – Calonie, 4; Kamel, 7; India, 13; and Aliyah, 18 – owned, she quietly shook her head and gave thanks that no one was injured in the Saturday afternoon blaze. Hill said she was at work and her children were at her mother’s house when a grease fire erupted inside the home’s kitchen.
“I never thought I’d be in this situation,” she said. “I’ve watched these heartbreaking stories over the holidays. But to be in it, it was scary. Yesterday, when all the people pulled out, I was here by myself and I was like, ‘I don’t know what to do. I don’t know who’s going to help. I don’t know if they will help.’”
Enter Mark and Debbie Stapleton, owners of Thrift Store & More on Hwy. 441 in Leesburg. Mark saw a posting about the devastating fire on Facebook Saturday night and quickly swung into action.
“I said, ‘Let’s get the kids a Christmas real fast,’” he said Sunday. “So we’re asking people to bring in wrapped gifts identified to which kid by age.”
Stapleton said several customers already had dropped off gifts and he encouraged them to bring them in Monday as well, when the store will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Later on Christmas Eve, he said, they’ll deliver the presents to Hill and her children so they can still celebrate the holiday.
“We actually started on the way to the store today,” he said. “We bought a gift for each of the kids and the mother. Mom needs something, too, right now.”
Stapleton also promised that any gifts received after Christmas would be delivered to the family as well.
“We give back to our local community,” Stapleton said. “And our local community isn’t just Leesburg. It’s The Villages, Fruitland Park, Wildwood. We are just a big community and we have to act like a community and come together as a community.”
Hill, who has never met Stapleton, is extremely grateful for his efforts.
“The first thing this morning, he let me know that me and my family were going to be OK,” she said. “He gave me permission to come in his store and get all the clothes that we need.”
Hill said she also appreciates the efforts of others who have stepped up to help and welcomes any household items or clothing items area residents are willing to donate.
“We have nothing,” she said. “So I don’t care if it’s used. I’m not being picky. We can use your stuff if you don’t want to use it anymore.”
As for her children, Hill said they are in good spirits.
“I love them because they are not complaining,” she said. “They’re not upset. They know their stuff was destroyed but they’re not even complaining. That’s why I can’t complain.”
Hill, who was offered an apartment by her landlord, said she wants to make sure everyone knows how much her family appreciates the help they’ve received and the prayers that have been sent their way.
“We appreciate it. Prayer goes far,” she said. “We’re very grateful to be alive. This is just stuff. It might be heartbreaking to depart from it, but we’ve got our lives and our sanity and we’re going to have a Merry Christmas, regardless.”
Those wishing to reach out to Hill can contact her at (352) 460-9369.
