Mt. Pleasant and New Alexandria communities support family after devastating fire

Two communities have come together to support a Mt. Pleasant family after they lost their home to a house fire in January.

Amber Breakiron and her family lost everything, including their family dog, when their home in the Mt. Pleasant Township village of Hecla went up in flames.

Breakiron’s sisters Alicia and Amie Miller and her cousin Dawn Jarvis began brainstorming in January for ways to help the Breakiron family. Breakiron’s cousin-in-law started a GoFundMe page with a $10,000 goal for the family in mid-January, but family members also wanted to find a way to involve community members.

With that goal in mind, family members held a spaghetti dinner Saturday at the New Alexandria Firemen’s Club.

Jarvis is a firefighter in New Alexandria and a part-time bartender at the firemen’s club. The club was happy to donate its banquet hall for the dinner.

“We knew that the spaghetti dinner would gather the community together and bring in some more donations for Amber and her family,” Amie Miller said.

Once the plan was set in motion, thanks to a few shared Facebook posts, word quickly spread about the dinner and people suggested more fundraising ideas to Jarvis.

In addition to spaghetti, guests donated desserts. There was a 50-50 raffle, and silent-auction baskets were available for bidding. Face painter Wendy Smith offered her services and donated her tips to the family. The Breakiron family received $1,780 in donations from the 119 guests in attendance that night.

There also will be a donation box set out for the family at the Firemen’s Club for the next two weeks.

“The response from the community has been fantastic,” Jarvis said. “Even though Amber doesn’t live here, they’re supporting me, supporting my family, and it’s amazing.”

The night before the dinner, Amie Miller said people had given Jarvis $300 in donations for the Breakirons. Breakiron emphasized how grateful she is for the support of not only her family members, but her community as a whole.

“(Family and friends) are getting me through this,” Breakiron said. “Myself, my husband and our kids, we have our moments, but they’re helping us all get through it. I don’t know what I would do without the support that I have.”

Shortly after the fire had occurred, the Calumet Fire Department announced that it was hosting a clothing drive for the family. Calumet fire Chief Dan Sterf told the Tribune-Review at the time, “The only clothes they have was what they had on.”

Breakiron said the clothing drive was announced on a Friday, and by Saturday the spaces where the firetrucks were normally parked were filled with boxes and bags full of donated clothing.

“Me, my husband and the kids have plenty of clothes now because so many people cared about us,” Breakiron said.

The American Red Cross also was told of the Breakiron family’s situation and donated blankets, general supplies and informational pamphlets about organizations that would be able to assist the family. Breakiron said representatives from the organization stay in contact with her and check on the family regularly.

“I’m just so grateful for everything,” Breakiron said. “Everything: the donations, the support not just from our friends and family, but the love from the whole community, too.”

Breakiron is living in a camper with her husband and three teenage children. She said she hopes the family will be able to begin to rebuild their lives soon.

“They’re the nicest people on this planet,” Jarvis said. “They will do anything for anybody, and they deserve the support.”