Fire guts St. Vincent de Paul store
Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published December 8, 2006
Kristin Lukowski | The Michigan Catholic
Former manager Leah Cooley and manager Kasara Spino stand infront of the burned-out Flat RockSt. Vincent de Paul building, with its “Open Daily” sign. | Flat Rock – "Thank you for helping us help others" reads the button on Leah Cooley's coat.
The message is much more poignant after a fire gutted the Flat Rock St. Vincent de Paul thrift store weeks before Christmas, causing the organization to turn for others to help with donations of clothing and household items – things destroyed in the Dec. 1 fire.
Cooley managed the Flat Rock store for three years until this past summer when she took over management of the new Westland store. She said the working poor, senior citizens, single parents and bargain hunters were all people who shopped at the store, which had a small-town, friendly feel to it.
"It's been a gathering place," she said. "Everybody knew everybody."
The thrift store and donation center, at 28251 Telegraph Road, caught fire the afternoon of Dec. 1. The fire is believed to have started in the attic, although the cause was still under investigation as of Tuesday. No one was injured in the blaze, which produced flames visible from as far away as Interstate 275 and caused the collapse of the roof.
An employee had heard a crackling sound, called 911 and calmly evacuated the dozen and a half employees, volunteers and customers out of the building, Cooley said, although at least one customer wanted to be rung up before evacuating. Blowing wind and the old age of the approximately 16,000-square-foot building helped the fire spread, she said.
Cooley added that the store's manager, Kasara Spino, kept the store very clean and the aisles clear, which helped get everyone out quickly. Among the items lost were clothes, furniture, household items, winter coats, Christmas toys, shoes and boots.
KristinLukowski | The Michigan Catholic
Manager Kasara Spino surveys the building that was once a St. Vincent de Paul thrift store and donation center. | Flat Rock Fire Chief William Vack said that by the time the fire department arrived, the fire had made "tremendous headway" that ultimately led to the total destruction of the store. Flat Rock Fire Department was assisted by departments from Rockwood, Woodhaven, Brownstown Township and Huron Township.
They cleared the scene at about 1 a.m. Dec. 2 but were heading back later that day to put out any hot spots left from the fire.
Leaving for Rome, Detroit's archbishop, Cardinal Adam Maida, offered his prayers and support for the leadership of the society.
"Once again, they are facing a major setback to their unselfish and vital ministry to the poor and marginalized of the archdiocese," the cardinal said. "But our local Vincentians, and the people who support them, always find a way! I know it will be hard, especially this year, but I have great hope.
"And, I pray that all those served by the thrift stores, be they downriver, in Detroit, or Port Huron, will be well cared for this holiday season."
The St. Vincent de Paul Society has dealt with fire before; in December 1995, a fire destroyed a store, warehouse and distribution center on Detroit's east side.
Not long after, the society's former Flat Rock store also burned.
Cooley said a lot of people will be affected by the tragedy, including the 10 or so employees, those who log community service hours there, the mentally disabled who work there a few hours a week, and the people who receive needed clothing and household goods through the organization. She's been referring the many people who have called to offer their help and donations – some from as far away as Jackson and Toledo – to the other nine St. Vincent de Paul stores in the area; the Westland store is the closest.
She said she hopes people clean out their closets and bring in anything that's no longer needed. Any clothing or household items that are gently used can be sold or given to a family in need. Mattresses and beds are among the items that are of the most demand.
Also needed are people willing to volunteer to process and sort all the increased donations they are expecting. "We're kind of overwhelmed now," Cooley said.
"The No. 1 thing we need from people – we need their prayers," she said.
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To donate
To learn more about what items to donate, volunteering, making monetary donations and updates, call (877) ST-VINCE (788-4623) or visit www.svdpdet.org.
Monetary donations can also be sent to St. Vincent de Paul, 3000 Gratiot Ave.; Detroit, 48207, Attn: Flat Rock Fund.
Donations of money, clothing and household items are welcome at the St. Vincent de Paul Society's nine other stores. Call for donation hours.
Other locations are:
Clinton Township
35603 Gratiot, north of 15 Mile (586) 792-3500
Detroit (East)
14922 Kercheval, one block East of Alter (313) 331-6992
Detroit (West)
15725 Grand River, three blocks west of Greenfield (313) 836-2878
Detroit (Van Elslander)
3000 Gratiot, between Chene and McDougall (313) 393-2920
Inkster
27114 Michigan Ave., between Inkster and Beech Daly (313) 277-8383
Port Huron
1335 24th Street, north of Griswold (810) 984-5392
Southgate
12354 Fort St., two blocks north of Northline (734) 284-8366
Waterford Township
2235 Elizabeth Lake Road, just west of Telegraph (248) 681-6760
Westland
6613 Wayne Road, half-mile north of Ford Road (734) 729-3088 | Patricia Kemp, of the firm Berg-Muirhead, who handles public relations for the St. Vincent de Paul Society of metro Detroit, said the society is asking for winter clothing, blankets, hats scarves, gloves, furniture and other items. "We'll take anything," she said.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society is in the process now of setting up a Flat Rock fund to which people can make monetary donations through the organization's Web site or at the other stores. More opportunities for people to help will likely be organized, including a donation site in the Flat Rock area.
"We want to be able to reach that community down there," Kemp said.
Cooley said although she's upset that all the work that went into the building was lost – "We had big plans for this store," she said – she's thankful that no one was injured. Also, employees were able to move the St. Vincent de Paul truck out of the loading pit of the building in time.
The fire could be a way to inform people of the St. Vincent de Paul Society's mission. Also, the building had been up for sale and they had been looking at other downriver sites.
"Maybe something will come up around the corner," she said. "Out of all of this, we're going to be able to touch more lives."
Even through economic depression, the Flat Rock store has seen a steady stream of donations – sometimes to the point where employees didn't know where to put things, Cooley said. "I have no doubts at all that this community will pull its weight and help us out," she said.
"God gives challenges to those people he knows can follow through."
Spino, who had been the store's assistant manager before becoming manager last summer, said she was having a hard time with the fact that the fire happened just before Christmas. Many people have been helped through the store, she said.
"This is a family," she said. "I know how much enjoyment this one little building gave the city of Flat Rock."
She hopes that the society will be able to open a bigger store that can help more people. "God works in mysterious ways," she said. "Maybe there's a reason for all of this."
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