‘It was just a given we’d help’: Community comes together to aid family displaced by fire

NEW GLASGOW, N.S. — In response to a fire causing significant damage to a church-turned-residence, the community has come together to help those impacted.

On Jan. 29 at around 8:30 p.m., a fire broke out at a residence on the corner of Forbes and James Street in New Glasgow, which is also the home of the Odditorium Art Space and was supposed to be the future home of Sense and SensibiliTea.

Very quickly after news of the fire was circulated through social media, a GoFundMe campaign was set up to help Wanda White, the owner of Sense and SensibiliTea, and her family.

“It’s been overwhelming and amazing. I just keep saying I’m full of gratitude, and as horrible as the situation is, it’s been like something that has given me a lot of hope, considering everything that’s going on. I would never have expected all of this,” said White during a phone interview on Feb. 6. “It’s amazing because we have a really long road ahead of us before we see anything.”

Stuck in Limbo

Given their current situation, White, her partner Asa Nodelman, and their son feel as though they’re stuck in limbo. They’re currently waiting to hear back from insurance about the situation.

“We don’t know where we’re going to be until we know what the insurance companies are doing and giving us a timeline and if they’re going to be holding some kind of semi-permanent housing,” she said, “We don’t know. We’re just stuck in a single hotel room, kind of just waiting right now, doing nothing.”

For Nodelman, it’s impossible to say at this time what they’re going to do after their home and the businesses that operated inside the building.

“You know, we used to joke that we’re going to die in this building,” Nodelman said. “We’re not even done processing the loss of the building.”

For White, she’s in the process of figuring out what the future of her business can look like, or if there is a future, given the loss of supplies in the fire as well as the planned future home of the Sense and SensibiliTea tearoom.

“Even if I just restart my business, it’ll be a long time before I can even begin that process. I have to have a place that is able to store food ingredients. I need to have a place that I can package and things like that. Who knows how long that’s going to take before I have the security to be able to do those kinds of things?” White added.

At the moment, they’re still coming to terms with the loss and taking it day by day.

“We did not carry enough insurance to replace the building,” Nodelman said, defeated. “We paid for this building for two years on a shoestring. I gave my work to the building, and we barely held it together for two years. We were just about to be able to get some financing and open the doors, and now that’s gone. Like, two years of our lives that are just gone, as well as everything we own.”

Overwhelming support

Grace MacPhee and Travis Freeman set up the GoFundMe for White and her family and were shocked at the amount of support pouring in. They initially set the goal at $10,000, wondering whether it would reach that amount, and as of Feb. 2, the goal has more than doubled, reaching just over $21,000.

“When Travis and I were creating it, we were like, let’s just put it at 10 grand and see what happens,” MacPhee said with a laugh.

Freeman echoed MacPhee’s surprise.

“I’m absolutely blown away. I knew that, of course, they were very beloved by the community, but I could not have anticipated that not only would we have hit the initial 10 (thousand) so quickly but that we would go so far above and beyond. I had no idea what to expect,” Freeman said. “It’s been wild in all the best ways.”

When asked what inspired them to start the GoFundMe, especially so quickly after the fire broke out, they both said it seemed like something they had to do. There were no questions about it, especially since both work with White at Pictou County Pride.

“I knew that something had to be done,” Freeman said. “I didn’t even put any real thought into it because it was just given that we’d help.”

For MacPhee, it felt like the least they could do to give back to White and her family for their work in the community through Pictou County Pride, their businesses and their advocacy.

“It’s been a given. It’s been very rewarding to be able to help her. Wanda has done so much for me and so much for the community that, of course, I had to help her,” MacPhee said.

Neither of them has a solid goal in mind for how much money they would like to raise, but they would like to see them have a bit of a safety net and take the time they need to recover from it.

“I think that the $20,000 is amazing. I mean, obviously, it’s not going to be enough for everything, but you know, it’s a good start for getting them back on their feet, buying the things that they need and hotels, and maybe an apartment for a couple of months, right?” said MacPhee.

In the days following the fire, MacPhee and Freeman aren’t the only people working to help out. A Facebook group organized by friends of White and Nodelman was put together to help collect items of clothing and goods for the family while they’re displaced.

A benefit concert is also being held at Wranglers on Feb. 24.

“I really want to stress that we are really, really thankful for all the support. We really need it. So thank you. I don’t want anyone to think that we take anything for granted. We feel truly loved and supported right now,” White said.

Unknown cause

So far, no causes are known for how the fire started.

Ross White, the Fire Chief for New Glasgow’s Fire Department Station 33, told SaltWire they are waiting for a fire investigator to evaluate the scene.

“With the fire investigator and myself, we’ll look at the fire’s cause and origin,” he said.

When asked if the building could be saved despite its significant damage, White couldn’t answer and said it would be up to the insurance company to determine its feasibility.

Const. Ken MacDonald with the New Glasgow Regional Police said in a statement to SaltWire that the fire is not deemed suspicious.

“With investigations concluded, we can firmly say that there’s nothing suspicious in nature (about the fire).”