Catmandu
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Friends help couple cope with tragedy
Two children died of injuries in fire
By TERRI SANGINITI
Staff reporter
04/03/2004
An outpouring of community support for the family who lost two children in a fatal fire last month in Bear is helping the parents cope with their loss.
In the last three weeks, friends, neighbors, co-workers and strangers have given more than $13,000 in cash and other donations to Lermande and Wubu Hendricks, whose 3-year-old son and 18-month-old daughter died of injuries after fire swept through their home in Salem Woods.
The couple, who moved into the home on Arlene Court with their family last May, said they are touched by the kindness. Wubu Hendricks said they would not have been able to manage without the support.
"We are taking it one day at a time to move on with our lives without them," she said.
LaMonte L. Hendricks and his sister Bailee Stevena died of injuries despite efforts by their 18-year-old uncle to rescue them from their home March 10. He received minor injuries. The family's 4-year-old cocker spaniel, Camby, also died in the blaze.
State fire officials determined the fire was accidental, caused by a failure in the home's electrical wiring.
Colleagues of Wubu Hendricks at the Delaware School for the Deaf collected $4,000 in gift cards and cash donations, Ed Bosso, the school's director said.
He said Henry M. Brader Elementary School in Glasgow donated more than $700 and an additional $300 was collected from two area churches.
"It's just been amazing," Bosso said.
New Castle County police Officer Romi Dunning, who launched a collection drive on her own in the Appoquinimink School District, said she had received more than $2,700 in checks and gift cards as well as new clothing, personal hygiene and household items.
Dunning said the donations left at the police station in Middletown have been taken to the Hendricks' friend and sign interpreter Pam D'Occhio, who also lives in Salem Woods.
"Every time I come into my office there is a new box or basket of donated items," Dunning said.
Louis Capano III donated a two-bedroom apartment to the family rent free for the next several months in the Valley Stream Village Apartments.
"When we heard the heart-wrenching story of this family's misfortunes, we didn't want them to have the additional worry of having a place to live during this extremely difficult time in their lives," Capano said.
Salem Woods residents Diane Peabody and Theresa Mushiatti said the tragedy has united the 750-home community, which raised nearly $6,000 the weekend after the fire with collection cans posted at the entrances to the community.
Peabody said 13-year-old Adam Caskey "walked over and donated all of his allowance he had been saving."
D'Occhio, who opened an account for donations for the Hendricks Family at PNC Bank, said with donations from Salem Woods and the School for the Deaf, more than $10,000 had been deposited in the account.
Funeral costs for the children were $13,000, Peabody said.
"We did not have life insurance for our kids because we never thought our kids would die before us," Wubu Hendricks said.
http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/local/2004/04/03friendshelpcoup.html
*My friend forwarded the Email to me and they were RIT graduates. Very sad, very sad.
Two children died of injuries in fire
By TERRI SANGINITI
Staff reporter
04/03/2004
An outpouring of community support for the family who lost two children in a fatal fire last month in Bear is helping the parents cope with their loss.
In the last three weeks, friends, neighbors, co-workers and strangers have given more than $13,000 in cash and other donations to Lermande and Wubu Hendricks, whose 3-year-old son and 18-month-old daughter died of injuries after fire swept through their home in Salem Woods.
The couple, who moved into the home on Arlene Court with their family last May, said they are touched by the kindness. Wubu Hendricks said they would not have been able to manage without the support.
"We are taking it one day at a time to move on with our lives without them," she said.
LaMonte L. Hendricks and his sister Bailee Stevena died of injuries despite efforts by their 18-year-old uncle to rescue them from their home March 10. He received minor injuries. The family's 4-year-old cocker spaniel, Camby, also died in the blaze.
State fire officials determined the fire was accidental, caused by a failure in the home's electrical wiring.
Colleagues of Wubu Hendricks at the Delaware School for the Deaf collected $4,000 in gift cards and cash donations, Ed Bosso, the school's director said.
He said Henry M. Brader Elementary School in Glasgow donated more than $700 and an additional $300 was collected from two area churches.
"It's just been amazing," Bosso said.
New Castle County police Officer Romi Dunning, who launched a collection drive on her own in the Appoquinimink School District, said she had received more than $2,700 in checks and gift cards as well as new clothing, personal hygiene and household items.
Dunning said the donations left at the police station in Middletown have been taken to the Hendricks' friend and sign interpreter Pam D'Occhio, who also lives in Salem Woods.
"Every time I come into my office there is a new box or basket of donated items," Dunning said.
Louis Capano III donated a two-bedroom apartment to the family rent free for the next several months in the Valley Stream Village Apartments.
"When we heard the heart-wrenching story of this family's misfortunes, we didn't want them to have the additional worry of having a place to live during this extremely difficult time in their lives," Capano said.
Salem Woods residents Diane Peabody and Theresa Mushiatti said the tragedy has united the 750-home community, which raised nearly $6,000 the weekend after the fire with collection cans posted at the entrances to the community.
Peabody said 13-year-old Adam Caskey "walked over and donated all of his allowance he had been saving."
D'Occhio, who opened an account for donations for the Hendricks Family at PNC Bank, said with donations from Salem Woods and the School for the Deaf, more than $10,000 had been deposited in the account.
Funeral costs for the children were $13,000, Peabody said.
"We did not have life insurance for our kids because we never thought our kids would die before us," Wubu Hendricks said.
http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/local/2004/04/03friendshelpcoup.html
*My friend forwarded the Email to me and they were RIT graduates. Very sad, very sad.
! 13,000 for funeral? Too much!