Community rallies around Thompson’s Country Market fire victims
WEST SUNBURY — When the Thompson’s Country Market building burned Christmas morning, four people were left displaced and without basic necessities.
Crystal Baptiste, owner of 3 C’s Pizza in the borough, decided to set up a donation drive for the families, and said she has received 175 bags of clothes and household goods as of Wednesday afternoon.
“I had a fire in November; I knew what it was like to be lost and scared,” Baptiste said.
The building consisted of upstairs apartments. One was home to Joseph Smith, the other for the Sears family: mother Kiera, 15-year-old Makayla and 17-year old Kavan.
Sears said words couldn’t express how grateful she is for the donations they already have received.
“(My kids) didn’t have anything. They were grateful to change (clothes) and not have that smoky smell on them,” she said. “I’m so happy people jumped in and helped us, not even knowing us. It’s been incredible.”
“I’d like to thank everybody,” Smith said. “The Red Cross has helped me drastically; friends have helped me dramatically, friends I didn’t think I had.”
Baptiste said Thompson’s Country Market has been around “since the horse-and-buggy days,” and its loss is deeply felt in the community.
“I would go to Thompson’s for dinner; I’d seen (the Sears) in the store before,” she said. “Everyone’s family in this town.”
“The world’s so crappy lately; this brings out so many amazing people, even just with the prayers,” Sears said.
After feeding firefighters who helped douse the blaze, Baptiste started crafting a message to put on social media asking for toiletries, dishware, clothes and shoes.
“My phone was blowing up at home; it was blowing up (at 3 C’s). I’m fine with it. I had to call in reinforcements,” she said.
Baptiste recruited her 17-year-old daughter Colette to help sort items into sections. On Wednesday, she secured future help from students in the National Honor Society in the Moniteau School District.
Smith and the Sears family already have collected some items, according to Baptiste.
“I told them to go through things they liked and to take your time. If you need a couple of hours to do this, I’m fine with that,” Baptiste said.
Donations keep coming from people who want to give furniture and bigger items as well.
“Between churches, family, friends, friends of friends, I have no idea who they are, we have people telling us they have furniture whenever we find a place. From cash to gift cards, toiletries,” Sears said. “Friends and everyone’s offering places to stay.”
“Once this is all done, we’ll give what’s left to the churches in town or the (VA),” Baptiste said. “I told the families, we’d do this as long as you want.”
Baptiste encouraged donations and said she’d be accepting them until Jan. 16.
Sears said she has lived in West Sunbury her whole life, one year of it in the apartment above Thompson’s Country Market. Smith had lived in his apartment for four years.
“That was the first time my kids felt at home, in that apartment,” Sears said. “The landlord was amazing; (the store owner) was always there, making us smile. It was a family down there.”
Though she was not home at the time of the fire, Sears said her children were.
“My kids were asleep. My daughter woke up from the alarm and said she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face,” she said. “She yelled at my son to go; they were half-asleep and got out.”
Smith said he also was asleep and was able to make his way out of his apartment.
“I had severe smoke inhalation. They didn’t know if I got burned; they were worried about my lungs,” he said of the responders.
At the end of the day, Sears said she’s most grateful that everyone made it out of the fire.
“I’m happy my babies are alive,” she said.
The owners of Thompson’s market declined to comment, but did post a message of thanks on Facebook Sunday.
“I want to thank all of the amazing hardworking firefighters who came out today. I also want to thank all of the great people who reached out to me today. I am at a loss for words right now I am just thankful nobody was seriously injured in this horrible fire,” the post said. “Please keep Kiera, Makayla, Kavan, and Joe in your thoughts tonight they lost everything today.”
