- May 5, 2024
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‘There are other people in hardship like us,’ mom says.
When George Pilcher, of Ormond Beach, was recuperating from hip surgery at SignatureHealth Care, he was very surprised when a couple and their two children distributed hand-made Happy New Year cards and cookies a week after Christmas.
What surprised him was that it was the Pitts family, who lost nearly all their possessions when their rented house burned down on Christmas morning.
“I talked to all of them and they were really upbeat,” he said. “And they had just lost everything in a fire.”
His wife, Doris, agreed, saying, “It was awesome. After what they went through to immediately turn around and help others.”
Melissa Pitts said the family, husband Damion and two children, was so overwhelmed by the generous spirit of the community after the fire that they wanted to do something in return.
“We were not expecting all the donations,” she said.
She said they have done similar projects in the past as volunteers in their church, and they wanted to show their children that they were not the only people who were in a bad situation.
“Life isn’t all peaches and cream,” she said. “There are people in hardship just like us.”
They were at her mother’s house in Holly Hill on the night their rented house on Wheatfield Place burned down. The only things they had left after the fire were Christmas presents and a change of clothes because they were going to spend the night.
After midnight on the night of fire, they got a call from a neighbor. When they arrived at the house, it was fully involved with firefighters on the scene. Pitts said the fire marshal has since said the cause of the fire is undetermined.
Pitts said they have five storage units of donated items including furniture, clothing and household goods, and they plan on working with agencies to distribute some of the items.
“There are people out there in the same situation,” she said. “We want to show the same love and support that we got.”
They stayed at her mother’s house for a few days and now are staying in a condominium, thanks to a friend. They own a duplex in the city, but did not want to disturb their tenants, so sought another place to stay.
The Christmas cards the family passed out were made by the children, Dimitrius, 7, and Bella, 11. They were signed and had a Bible verse on the back.
They made pumpkin raison cookies without sugar and also sugar cookies.
“The cookies were the size of a saucer,” said George Pilcher, who is now at home. “That got my attention. I’m a cookie animal.”
A friend registered the Pitts family on gofundme.com, and so far it has raised $15,900. They are planning to use the money as a down payment for a house.
“It’s been amazing,” she said. “The page has been shared 1,800 times.”
She said the process of starting over has been mind-boggling. She has received a letter from the rental company that indicates they may seek rent from the time of the fire to the end of the month, as well as fire damage costs.
Pitts said the experience of the fire gave her daughter, who is old enough to understand, an appreciation for what they have, namely, each other.
“The outcome could have been different if we had been home that night,” she said. “We realize we were blessed,” she said.
