Port Clinton's Brooks collects items to aid Willard nursing home fire victims
PORT CLINTON - On Jan. 19, lightning hit Blossom Healthcare in Willard, setting ablaze the assisted living facility in Huron County. All 13 residents were evacuated safely, but many of their belongings were destroyed in the fire.
A few days later, Heather Brooks of Port Clinton read a news post about the fire, and she was struck with familiar pain. Brooks has been employed as a nurse at Genoa Retirement Village for 18 years, and she lived through a devastating house fire about 10 years ago.
“It was two things that hit home,” she said. “My kids and I lost everything in the fire. You still have memories, but all your personal treasures — your pictures, your heirlooms — are gone. We were very dependent on donations.”
Memories of a fire a decade ago resurfaced for Brooks
As she read the news report, Brooks decided she wanted to help by collecting donations for the fire victims. When she posted about the project on her personal Facebook page, she was overwhelmed with so many donations that she didn’t have room to store them. She turned to her church, Lake Point Baptist Church, for help.
“I called my pastor and asked him if I could use space in the church. He said that’s the perfect reason to use the space,” Brooks said.
Lake Point Pastor Lloyd McCarroll was quick to say yes to help a trauma he knew well.
“First of all, I trust Heather’s judgment, and it was a reason to reach people in the name of Christ,” he said. “Also, we had a fire here, a few doors down, and we were smoked out. We were aching to get back to our own place with our own things.”
Brooks will be collecting donations at the church at 135 Maple St., Port Clinton, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for a couple more weeks. The church is in the corner of the plaza behind McDonald's.
Eight boxes of clothing collected for Blossom residents
Brooks collected eight big boxes of clothing, and now Blossom residents have all the clothes they need. Brooks is still collecting new personal hygiene items such as lotions, soap, shaving cream, lipstick, nail polish and perfume.
“They have bulk nursing home products, but I’d like to bring the comforts of home to them. I’d like to give them things that smell good, like lotions from Bath and Body Works,” Brooks said. “Something as small as a tube of lipstick can literally change their day.”
She is also collecting new electric razors, slippers, costume jewelry and art supplies.
Tara Villarreal of Blossom Healthcare said the facility’s activity department is in great need of supplies.
“Our activity department was especially compromised. All arts and crafts items are welcome,” Villarreal said. “Our activity director is literally having to start all over.”
Brooks suggested donors bring yarn, paint, paintbrushes, markers, crochet hooks, artificial flowers, games and journals.
“They love to journal,” Brooks said.
Brooks is glad she can help the fire victims, and she is grateful the donation project gives her the chance to teach her children the importance of ministry. Scripture, she said, impacted her greatly during the donation project, including Mark 12:31, which says, “And the second is like, namely this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
“This truly is near and dear to my heart,” she said. “Being able to share my faith and teach my family humility and good morals and values and touch others’ lives along the way is exactly what God has called us to do.”
Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at sheritrusty4@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Port Clinton News Herald: Heather Brooks collecting items for Willard nursing home fire victims
