By RACHEL C. DOVE

Staff Writer

CHATTAROY - A family of four who lost their possessions when a fire destroyed their home on Tuesday are in need of assistance from the public.

Doug and Loretta Savage and their two grandsons returned home Tuesday afternoon to the shocking sight of their rental home in flames. Although the structure wasn’t listed as a complete lost, the family has not been able to enter the residence as of yet to see if any items are salvageable.

The fire is currently under investigation by the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s office.

Sonja Wasserman, Director of Skilled Nursing at the Appalachian Regional Hospital (ARH), is the supervisor of Loretta. With the support of her fellow employees of the healthcare facility, Wasserman headed up a fund drive for the Savage family and is asking that the public join them in their efforts.

Clothing sizes that are needed for the two boys are large and extra-large in youth (they would prefer ball shorts and t-shirts), and shoe sizes are 7-and-a-half and 8-and-a-half in men’s. Loretta is in need of nursing uniforms, smocks size large, pants size small. Doug wears 36x30 in pants, and extra-large in shirts.

Household items such as bed linens, towels, kitchenware and small appliances would also be appreciated, along with gently used furniture. Monetary donations are being collected to assist the family with acquiring a place to live, and according to Wasserman, the cost will be in the range of approximately $1,500 which includes first month’s rent, security deposit and utility deposits.

“Loretta is a great lady, and our hearts break for her and her family,” said Wasserman. “We want to do whatever we can to help them during this terrible time in their lives.

“Anytime there are children involved, it seems to make things a lot harder. Children are resilient and they adjust better than adults, but they’ve lost things that meant a lot to them and we’re hoping we can replace some of those items.”

The public can drop their donations off to the front desk of the Skilled Nursing Facility at ARH. If anyone is unable to transport items and need someone to pick them up, contact Wasserman at 606-237-1725. Monetary donations may also be dropped off to the supervisor.

“We’re like a family here at ARH, and when one of our co-workers suffers a loss or experiences sickness or death, we rally around one another and provide support in any way possible,” said Wasserman.