Alice Duits is expressing her immense gratitude to everyone who has helped her family on their recovery from a devastating house fire on July 30 that charred everything they own.
However, with the fast-approaching winter, her husband, Berney, needs more help – and quickly – to prepare a warm dwelling where her family can reside while a new house is built, she explains.
Alice notes their oldest (of 11) children, were helping them initially, but they have had to return to their own jobs.
"Things slowed down to kind of a snail's pace as my husband has plodded along on his own, and he's also caring for our four other children who are still having problems – all the kids have sort of had trauma [such as nightmares]."
Berney has poured all the concrete for walls, has tarred the outside, and was due to pour the slab for the basement floor on Sept. 20, so the foundation should be completed this week, she adds.
Meanwhile, Alice says their immediate goal is to renovate and winterize a small, rustic cabin on the property (near Sheridan Lake) and make it habitable, so the family can have shelter until the house is built.
There was no power, water or toilet facility in the cabin, and while Berney has done a lot work to rectify that already, she is worried about her family keeping warm enough if he doesn't get some help to complete it.
While they now have power on site for running tools, it is already too cold for the family to reside in the cabin, so she fears there is too little time before winter to complete the dwelling without a volunteer to help her husband.
"If there's ever a carpenter who has a day they'd like to donate, we certainly are feeling the time [crunch] because the weather is getting colder ... so we are feeling a little bit stressed because there's so much to do on the cabin before we can move in, and we are still [living] in an RV."
Anyone who can offer a day of help on the cabin renovations – whether a carpenter or not – can call the Duits at 1-250-483-7709.
Alice says she has been looking at used materials on Kijiji and in Kamloops and is having a "very hard time" finding their remaining needs for the temporary dwelling, which include a small kitchen (cabinets and countertop).
"My goal is that we are in there [by Oct. 3] and that's going be be hard pressed for us to do unless we can get some more help."
Alice notes Work n Play, The Bargain Shop and Fields gift cards can be left for the Duits at the South Cariboo Visitor Centre, and would be very helpful so they can get the winter hats, coats, boots and gloves they need, as most winter clothing donated so far doesn't fit.
"People have been very generous in giving us the summer clothing, but the weather is changing very quickly," Alice says, adding she home-schools her children and also needs notebooks, paper and other supplies, including a printer.
Anyone with larger items to donate can call the Duits at the number above to confirm their other needs, which can then be dropped off at New Cal Rabbit Farm, 6691 Highway 97.
Monetary donations may still be made online at www.gofundme.com/HelptheDuits, which (as of Sept.16) has raised about $52,000; or made out to the Cariboo Presbyterian Church, PO Box 156; Lac la Hache, B.C.; V0K 1TO, with an attached note designating it for the Duits family (but not in subject line, due to tax issues).
Alice notes with the other cash donations, the total cash donations so far are around $100,000.
"We are so, so grateful, and we are feeling so positive – people have been very, very kind to us. "[Everywhere we go] people smile, strangers have given me a hug and spoken kindly to my husband and I. That has really spoken a loud message to our family."