Big Response for Family
After Braintree Home Burns

After the October 30 fire that left her Mobile Acres neighbors homeless, Candy Potrzeba volunteered to take calls from people with items to donate.

Gene Lumbra, his wife Cristy Ward, and their five children lost everything in the 9 a.m. fire last Tuesday in Braintree. Lumbra and the three youngest children were home when the fire started, and luckily all escaped without injury.

This week Potrzeba reported that the community response to her call for donations has been overwhelming, with offers of furniture, appliances, clothing, housewares, and more flooding in.

Collection of many of these items will necessarily have to wait until the family finds a new place to live.

Potrzeba said that many people have called and left descriptions of items to donate on her answering machine. She stressed that she has taken careful notes on each call, and will get back to would-be donors as soon as possible.

Potrzeba is still taking those calls; her number is 728-7150. A fundraiser is also in the works, she said.

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