Two households who were left homeless after Network Rail demolished their homes last week have written a letter of thank you to the Walthamstow community – here are their words
During last weekend’s fire, our homes were taken from us. One of us has been a member of this wonderful community for many years, while two of us had only moved in two weeks before the fire.
What followed was an outpouring of support and charity that has been truly overwhelming. From the moment the fire started, neighbours and strangers were there to help – evacuating us from the house, offering places to stay, and dropping off clothing.
Firstly, we’d like to thank the first responders in the police and the fire brigade, thanks to whom there were no casualties.
We’d like to personally thank our wonderful neighbours. In particular, we’d like to acknowledge Emily and Cecilia, Esme and Roz, Danni, Jacintha, Vanessa and the team at St Mary’s for their kindness in the first few hours after the fire – donating clothing and other essentials.
We have also been welcomed with open arms by small businesses in Walthamstow and beyond, in particular the teams at Big Penny Social, Wilde, the Hoxton, Word Store, the Good Egg, Wood Street Walls, Forest Eco Cleaners, Optical World, The Pet Vet Waltham Forest, as well as fundraising support from Arvo and East of Eden.
We’re overwhelmed by the generosity of the fundraisers that were set up to support us, including by our incredibly thoughtful work colleagues.
The generosity that was shown to us in our time of need has truly shown us the best of people, and this note is a small token of our gratitude which we’ll never be able to express in full.
We simply couldn’t have managed last week without Stella and Jess from the MP’s Office, or our family and friends. We’re feeling very lucky and grateful in many ways, during a particularly vulnerable time, because of the support network we’ve had around us.
Over £26,000 has so far been raised for these residents – you can donate more here
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