CRESTVIEW — When Lisa Reeves lost her house in an Oct. 15 fire, a group of people she'd never met before sprang into action.
ACCIDENTAL FIRE
Reeves and her 11-year-old daughter, Marissa, weren't home when a blaze claimed their single-story home and its contents, valued at $50,000. The fire was an accident; Marissa had hatched a chick from an egg, and it wasn't in the best of health. Reeves put the chick in a box with a heating lamp in a back bedroom, which later caught fire.
Reeves — who now lives in a mobile home in Auburn — said she salvaged a few items, including "some pictures and some paperwork and stuff like that." Residents have dropped off necessities at 3034 Log Cabin Lane, Crestview, or the Crestview Sears to help with the situation. Antioch Elementary School collected clothes for Marissa, a student there.
But Reeves didn't expect help outside Northwest Florida.
BOOK LOVERS UNITE
Reeves, an author known as L.M. Glenn, received an unprecedented response from book lovers and authors who heard about her situation and purchased Reeves' e-books to help her family.
Angel Martinez of New Mexico was among those who wanted to help this perfect stranger — "never met her, never heard of her, never read her books," she said — but having lost everything in a house fire herself, she wanted to do more. "$1.99 for a Kindle book is not enough to help someone start over," she said.
Martinez recalled Giftapalooza, an annual event run by author T.E. Ridener, who collects Christmas gifts and food baskets for needy children. She thencreated Amazon and Wal-Mart wish lists — with necessities and extras for Marissa in mind — for an Oct. 21-26 fundraiser on Facebook.
Donors' generosity led to some $1,300 in cash and gift cards — "It's not much to start over, but it's something to keep (Reeves') faith going," Martinez said. "Most people donated from the heart."
STARTING OVER
The book lovers' efforts surprised Reeves, who expressed gratitude and appreciation. "No one has ever done anything like that for me before," she said.
Now, she's in rebuilding mode.
"Big items have been taken care of," Reeves said. "We don't need any big items. Just the small stuff." That includes cooking pans, cleaning supplies, bathroom items, pillows, towels and washcloths. And women's shoes, size 7 1/2 — for Reeves and Marissa.
In the meantime, Marissa, an avid reader, is rebuilding her library, thanks to some of the Amazon donations. That makes mother and daughter happy, Reeves said.
"When my daughter is smiling, I am smiling," she said.
WANT TO HELP?
Donate: http://www.gofundme.com/fw2ino
Amazon wish list: http://amzn.to/1thxMLX
Wal-Mart wish list: http://bit.ly/1zz8mlq
Email Renee Bell, Crestview News Bulletin, or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Strangers, neighbors help family after house fire