Fire victim cries for help after losing all
Today, Chandler is desperately trying to find a house or apartment that the family can call home.
The Rock Hall, St Philip mother and her children are staying at an apartment provided by the Welfare Department, but that is only for a two-week period, which ends on Wednesday.
She said she desperately needed some help because she could no longer run her snack shop and had no income to pay rent after that period expired.
Chandler said the Welfare Department offered to pay the rent up to $750 per month, but she would have to pay the additional costs. However, Chandler said that everything suitable and available was in the range of $1 000 or more.
Several break-ins
She said that following several break-ins at the shop, she had been storing her stock at home and since all of that stock was lost in the fire, finding the money to pay the rent would be very hard. “So right now I have no job or way of making money,” Chandler said.
When the fire destroyed the uninsured wooden house, Chandler also lost approximately $3 500 in stock and cash accumulated from selling shop items and newspapers. Additionally, she had used all of her savings to start the snack business.
“When the fire happened, I just heard a scream from my daughter and when I got to her room the whole wall was on fire and the clothes were already burning so we just had to get out.
“My son and daughter got burns on their feet, so we just wanted to get out, so I could not save anything,” Chandler said.
She said clothing had been obtained for the children, who were now back in school, but finding a job and “getting things back together” would take some time. (LK)
