'All I could do was stand there and cry': Neighbors collecting donations for family after fire

When the Norris family's home on Oakmoor Drive caught fire early Monday morning, they were able to escape with their pets, but little else. As fire engines pulled onto their street at 2 a.m., Missy Norris said her neighbors immediately came to her family's aid.

One brought flip flops for Norris, who had run out of the house barefoot in a housecoat. Another brought water for them and a third brought pants and a pair of tennis shoes to borrow.

“In fact, I’m still wearing her tennis shoes,” Norris said.

The fire started on the back deck and Norris said the definite cause has not been determined. One of the family's two cats had to be rescued by firefighters and revived with oxygen, but the rest of the family made it out uninjured due to Norris' stepson, who alerted everyone to the fire. It destroyed their kitchen, attic and part of the roof and framing, as well as covering most of what they own in debris and soot. From business clothes to food for their three dogs, everything the Norrises owned was destroyed or unusable in a matter of hours.

But the help from their neighbors didn't stop once the fire was put out.

"The support of our neighbors alone has blown my mind because all I could do was stand there and cry,” Norris said.

Norris received emergency funds from her job to buy clothes and essentials for the family, as well as donations from her West Homewood neighbors of clothes and gift cards. The family is staying in a hotel while they search for a new pet-friendly rental home, and Roverchase, Standifer's Animal Clinic and Ed's Pet Supply have stepped up to help care for their dogs, cats and fish.

Their neighbor Emily Hynds, who saw the fire from her back deck that night, also stepped up despite having never met the Norrises. Hynds, a Samford mathematics professor, said she has been the recipient of community help many times during challenging periods of her life and was happy to pay it forward to another family in need.

“It’s actually really exciting for me to be on the other end,” Hynds said. “People want to help.”

Hynds is collecting donations for the family through friends, Samford colleagues and social media posts. She said she is collecting clothes and essentials, but also gift cards from major grocery and clothing stores so the Norrises can get exactly what they need. She added that gift cards don't expire, so the family can still use them for other needs down the road.

“I’m trying to encourage people just to do Target, Walmart because you’ve got food there, clothes, bathroom stuff,” Hynds said.

She plans to drop off the first collection of donations this week, and to keep delivering them as long as people are willing to donate. Donations can be dropped off at her home, 625 Edgemoor Road, or at her Samford office, in Russell Hall Room 220.

“The needs are immediate so I want to start delivering, but the needs are going to be ongoing,” Hynds said.

Norris said this generosity of a complete stranger was completely unexpected, and the amount of support she has received in the past two days has been overwhelming.

"I’m just flabbergasted by the outreach of my community, my friends and my coworkers,” Norris said. “If I’m not able to find a house in Homewood, I’m going to be really be disappointed because the people here are amazing.”

“It’s just a bright light in a very dark spot,” Norris said.