CLEAR LAKE, Iowa – A smoldering pile where a house used to stand in Thornton is bringing out the best in folks. More than 70 friends, family members, and complete strangers packed into a lunchroom at a Clear Lake elementary school on Sunday to help out a family down on their luck.
"Right now, we have just actually found a duplex down in Thornton that we're gonna rent until our house is built," said LaBeth Sasse of Thornton.
The Sasse family has spent the last few weeks living out of suitcases after their house burned to the ground. One of the family cats knocked a candle into a waste basket and started the fire about three weeks ago. The Sasses lost their home and two pet cats, but they tell us with a little help, their luck is turning around.
"The community has been awesome as my son would say,” said Joel Sasse at Sunday’s benefit with his son.
"Awesome, the community of Thornton, West Fork itself, the school district has been just incredible,” added LaBeth. “They've raised money, they did a food drive for us, everybody has just stepped up and really said here ya go."
And that generosity continues in Clear Lake as folks chowed down and bid on donated items to raise money. The Sasses say the community's help has made all the difference.
"Life gets long and hard, and ya pick up and move on,” said Joel. “It's not an ending, it's a new beginning."
“We have the memories,” said LaBeth, “and, as long as my husband and my daughter and my 2 dogs made it out, and I think that's the important thing."
And plenty of friends want to help them recover. Joel says the Red Cross has played a key role. They're even hoping to rebuild in the same spot in the next six months. If you'd like to help out, call the Red Cross at 641-424-2454 or go to http://www.northcentraliaredcross.org/
