Madison Family Of 5 Displaced On Christmas Eve After House Fire

MADISON, CT — The McDermott family of five, including their pet bunnies and dog, escaped a Horse Pond Road house fire Wednesday.

Thankfully, the American Red Cross is housing the family — mom Beth McDermott, her fiancé, and her three kids: a daughter aged 22, a son aged 14, and a daughter aged 9 —albeit temporarily.

And Madison Youth and Family Services has provided them with grocery gift cards.

The Facebook group Shoreline CT - Spread the Love, run by Cindy Breckheimer, has raised more than $3,000 in gift cards and, Cindy said at noon on Christmas Eve that, she “just dropped off” clothes and food, too.

The Red Cross said it provided the McDermott family with a "recovery envelope containing information helpful to families recovering from a fire, including tips on cleanup; notification of important contacts; dealing with damaged items and more."

The Red Cross is also providing comfort kits containing personal care items such as toothbrushes, deodorant; shaving supplies and other items a resident might need when suddenly displaced from their home by a fire.

Red Cross caseworkers will connect with those affected in the coming days to work on a longer-term recovery plan. The Red Cross is able to provide assistance through the generosity of our donors and the commitment of our volunteers.

Should a GoFundMe or similar appeal for help materialize, Patch will let you know.