Community helps family that lost everything in Thanksgiving fire

RUSSELL COUNTY, Va. -

A Thanksgiving Day fire destroys a family's home, but since then the community is pitching in trying to make this heart-breaking situation better.

The Cook family called their house on Springbrook Lane in Honaker home, until Thanksgiving day when flames tore through, leaving only behind charred pieces of clothing. "To think that they lost their Thanksgiving and there was a potential that they wouldn't have their Christmas either, we just didn't want to live with that," said Acacia Nunley with Cedar Pointe Baptist Church.

So Cedar Pointe Baptist Church has been busy collecting gifts for the family of six to put under their Christmas tree. But this is actually the second time the congregation has helped the Cooks. "The Police Department was out there telling us that this family, their house had been burnt down and we still had a lot of left over food [from Thanksgiving dinner]. So we packed up everything we had, we gave any extras we had for ourselves, and shipped them off," added Nunley.

News 5 learned the church is now working to provide meals and winter supplies, but the generosity doesn't stop there.

Over at Russell County Emergency Management Director Jess Powers says the family did have insurance on their home, but not on their belongings and thankfully donations are being dropped off every day, "We have a large van that we filled full of clothes, sheets, pillow cases, towels, and personal need items and took those to them last week."

But there is some good news, the Cook family will soon have a place of their own. "One of their friends has a home that they're going to allow them to move into during this transitional period. So that they can work with their insurance company to acquire a new place to live," added Powers.

From the family, to the community it's overwhelming to see generosity especially during the season of giving. "Russell County has always been a very giving place and it just overwhelms me how generous the people are," said Powers.

The Russell County Dispatch Center is accepting clothing and donations, if you would like to help this family. Their sizes are:

* Grandmother - 1X - 2X top; 16 pants; and 7 shoe
* Male - Medium top; 30/30 pants; and 81/2 - 9 shoe
* Female - 2X - 3X top; 22 pants; and 9 shoe
* Girl - 6 top; 6 pants; and 12 shoe
* Girl - 6 top; 6 pants; and 13 shoe
* Boy - 6 top; 6 pants, and 13 shoe

Donations will be collected at the Russell County 911 Dispatch Center at 656 Clydesway Drive in Lebanon, Virginia.