Thank you, thank you, thank you!

To the editor:

Thank you, thank you, thank you! We wish there was some way to express personally to each and every one who has reached out to help our family since a fire destroyed our home and business on Jan. 11.

Thanks to the firefighters who were so quick to arrive on the scene and to our neighbor Cindi Ladere, who took in our children as they fled barefoot in the snow as our house was engulfed in flames. Within three hours, a Red Cross team was available to help us with emergency needs. Nothing can quite explain the mixture of emotions that ran through our very beings at the shock of losing everything so quickly — and the relief that all our children were able to get out safely.

We want to express our appreciation to our church families: Independent Baptist Church of Anchorage and Palmer Christian Fellowship. Their combined support with meals, organization of donations, money gifts and simply helping with the logistical aspects of trying to start a whole new life was invaluable.

One of the first donations we received came from the owner of Saddlers in Anchorage. My wife’s “work family” at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center reached out abundantly to support the needs of the family. Dr. Cochran and his terrific staff put together a truckload of very helpful donations, and the staff at Aurora Dental Care made a magnanimous effort to contribute to our needs.

A big thank you to Gracie Van Diest and Annemarie for setting up a website and sending out e-mails on our behalf. There are so many more individuals who have helped make our house a home again. We praise God for his strength, and for the love and kindness each of you have shown on our behalf during this difficult time in our lives.

Lonnie and Stephanie Scalisi and family

Palmer