A donation drive on Saturday to help families that lost their homes in the Mountainview Co-op fire exceeded all expectations, bringing in more than enough items to help re-stock their new accommodations.
About 50 families lost their homes in October when a fire tore through a building at the Mountainview complex in Port Moody. Former residents who have been staying with friends, family or in hotels have, for the most part, secured new lodgings but were facing the expensive prospect of having to start from scratch in furnishing even the basics — until a Sir Frederick Banting middle school counsellor organized a fundraiser over the weekend.
"Oh my gosh, it is past a large gym full," said organizer Tina D'Amelio. "I had no idea we were going to get that much stuff."
Among the donated items were multiple dish sets, microwaves, coffee makers, bedding, utensils, bicycles, kettles, Christmas decorations, lamps, tables and hampers. Pricier items, such as a high-quality stand mixer, will go to an avid baker, while a collection of computer games will be flagged for a gaming fan.
D'Amelio said there are many bags that have yet to be opened, so she's looking forward to discovering what other goodies are in store for the Mountainview families. Another $3,000 in gift cards and cash was also donated.
"What blew me away the most was a very, very elderly woman… she took a cab in the pouring rain to Glenayre to give me a Walmart gift card. I couldn't believe it," D'Amelio said.
And the help didn't just come in the form of donations. The night before the fundraiser, D'Amelio realized she'd made an error in notifying the volunteers and panicked that she would be on her own on Saturday.
She called a couple of moms of Banting students and, along with D'Amelio's own kids, they spread the word and soon there was plenty of help. People who came to donate noticed how busy the event was and offered to stick around and pitch in but the sheer amount of donations was quickly filling the Glenayre community centre.
"In the first hour, I knew we were going to be in trouble," D'Amelio said. She called the principal of Glenayre elementary and, soon, donations were overflowing into that school's gym.
Neighbours and friends offered their time and their trucks to transport all the goods to Banting, where D'Amelio is busy sorting everything into groups so that Mountainview families can "go shopping" for all the necessities on Thursday.
They'll also be getting some holiday treats and presents in the form of Christmas hampers.
"It was pouring rain and cold but the kids were having a good time and people came with coffee and pizza," D'Amelio said. "People were really willing to be a part of it. It was really neat."
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