More on the fire

[resonant]

Y'all are fantastic. I can't believe how many people have e-mailed me after my post on the fire at the kidlet's school to tell me they'd help out. I love you all.

The kidlet's teacher tells me she had a thousand books in her classroom alone. They're still there, but the soot on them is toxic; there's no telling when or whether she might be able to rescue any of them.

The kids will spend the rest of the year in a building that belongs to a school that closed last year. Kids at one school donated some of their desk supplies; teachers at another one pulled stuff out of their teacher's lounge to decorate the lounge in the replacement school.

A gerbil, several goldfish, and two hermit crabs survived the fire, though, so all is not lost.

My offer of a smutlet in exchange for a donation is still open. As I said to someone in an e-mail, I'm kind of quietly thrilled at the idea of rebuilding the grade-school library through the power of smut.

Comments

[norah.livejournal.com]

I wish I weren't so tapped out, personally and financially, right now. :( But I'm glad other people are stepping up!

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

It stinks, doesn't it, right after everybody spent all their money on the election! And your kid isn't old enough to have outgrown any books in the right age group. (Personally, I'm going to be really happy if I can get the kidlet, who's in the fourth grade, to give up one or two board books.)

Don't want to be a downer, but

[jenna-thorn.livejournal.com]

I'd be surprised if they can salvage much. When my office burned a few years back, my side of the building had only smoke and minor water damage. I rescued the plants in the window and everything that wasn't in the open (the top layer on my desk was useless and I'm really bad at filing.) and my photos and the needlework project that I worked on at lunch and the knicks knacks that clutter every desk. I washed and aired the textile and eventualy gave up and threw it away and even though I washed and repotted the plants the same day we were allowed in, they died. The only thing I was able to save was my engagement photo and that's because it was framed, protected by glass and wood. But even the manuals and such that weren't smeared with soot, I couldn't get the smell out of.

I fear almost everything is going to have to be replaced. The good news is that you've got a jump on doing so.

Re: Don't want to be a downer, but

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow, that must have been totally awful! It would take me forever to get over something like that, I think. The kidlet's teacher was almost crying the first day I saw her. She said, "I had thirty-three years in that classroom."

She seems to think she might be able to salvage some of the books, but I really seriously doubt it. I mean, these are books for kids. Are you going to let kids touch anything if you're only kind of sure it's not covered with toxic soot and/or mold?

office fire

[jenna-thorn.livejournal.com]

We spend so much time at our day jobs, that, yeah, I had some emotional investment; losing the plants was frustrating. I pretty much cried it out as I was trying to salvage them, so when I tossed the birthday cards and notes from customers and certificates and such, I was just angry.

But it drove home how utterly devastating losing a home would be.

And yeah, I can see how a teacher, with years of time and memories stacking into little desks and cubbies, would be in tears.

Also since the soot is, well, let's put it this way, what are the odds that the carpet that burned was organic cotton? Yeah, that's some nasty petroleum based ick right there, which is part of why it makes such an ugly stinky mess when it burns.

Re: office fire

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

Turns out you're exactly right; the principal tells me that they've been able to salvage nonporous things like chairs, but none of the paper products are considered safe to use. It's so sad!

Re: office fire

[jenna-thorn.livejournal.com]

Well, darn. I had my fingers crossed and was thinking about you and kidlet the other day, watching them change out air conditioners on the middle school across the street.

I'm sorry, but I'm not surprised.

When the firefighters let us in to salvage what we could, I was appalled at how much smoke damage came from what was really, in our case, a very small fire.

But good that you've been able to be the fairy godmother of books, and I share your amusement at the giving power of smut. 8-) I'm tickled pink that you gave us the opportunity to participate.

I remember someone downthread or in the other post was talking about Donorschoose.org. Is the school willing or able to use them for next year? I'd adopted a project and to my surprise a couple of foundations picked up the project I was watching and boosted it to the goal this week. (The cynical side of me remembers the calendar-based deadline for charitable works; the optimist in me feeds the cynic a gingerbread man and sits on her.)

Re: office fire

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

I recommended donorschoose to the librarian, but I haven't heard anything about it. Honestly, she looks rather harried every time I see her; she may not have time to do anything but the bare minimum.

[j00j.livejournal.com]

Do they have people or resources on salvaging books? I assume the school librarian or other local librarians will have this covered... Mold if the books got wet will also be a health concern.

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

I don't know whether they have anything like that; they may just plan to throw pretty much everything away, because if you're dealing with kids, you don't want to take chances with anything that could compromise their health.

[mzcalypso.livejournal.com]

Have you checked local libraries and churches for gleaning the leftovers from book sales? Once things are donated they have to do something with them, and replacing a school library would be the best possible use, I think.

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

That's a good idea -- I've got a contact at the library, and I used to volunteer for the museum's used-book sale. I'm going to put a bug in everyone's ear.

[orpheus-samhain.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry about the school :(

I'm kind of quietly thrilled at the idea of rebuilding the grade-school library through the power of smut.

*snorts* You rock! :D

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

Well, it's working!

[jimpage363.livejournal.com]

I have oodles of credit at my favorite outdoor used bookstore (God, I love CA). What can I get and where can I send it? You won't even have to write me any fic, although I adore your stuff. I'll just go back and read and enjoy...