LAKELAND, Fla. — Community members are helping 84-year-old Betty Frey pick up the pieces after a fire destroyed her Lakeland home.
“I’ve already reached a point where almost all my resources are gone and trampled on pretty badly,” said Frey.
The senior lost nearly everything, including her beloved cat, Snow, when her home caught fire in January.
“My cat didn’t make it out. It must’ve been so smokey that even the cat didn’t try to get out,” Frey said through tears.
Frey has been living out of a small trailer without running water and electricity. She was told the city cannot turn on the utilities until the debris on her property is removed.
“I have not really been living, just surviving,” Frey said.
David Lopez and his family volunteer to deliver groceries to the elderly every weekend. When Lopez came to drop off food last weekend, he was shocked to learn about Frey's living conditions.
"I knew she needed a lot of help, and it was more help that I could’ve done on my own. I knew that we have a great community that would help others, so I created the [Facebook] post asking for additional help,” said Lopez.
He said the generosity has been amazing. Someone has paid for a hotel room for a week, and a contractor has offered to clear the property for free.
A GoFundMe is also helping raise money to get Frey a new single-wide mobile home.
"We’ve had a lot of people wanting to donate furniture and living necessities. We just don't have anywhere for her to live. So that is the most important thing that we need right now, is money to buy her a mobile home,” Lopez said.
The outpouring of support from the community has left Frey overwhelmed with gratitude.
“It’s way beyond what I ever expected, and I'm not taking it for granted at all, but I'm rolling in it because it feels good to know that people care,” said Frey.
“You threw my son under the bus. You didn't take care of him.”
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