A thank-you to a wonderful community

SooToday.com received the following letter of thanks today from Mike Mathieu whose family was left with virtually nothing after a fire destroyed their home in January of this year.

*************************** To a wonderful community:

A little over a month ago on January 27, disaster struck.

A fire took from my family nearly everything we had acquired over years of hard work and struggle.

With limited funds, a lack of groceries, little clothing, and no house to call a home, I was left unsure of what I could possibly do to provide my family with the necessities we needed to survive.

Our future well-being, to say the least, looked very uncertain.

My uncle and aunt, Todd and Brenda St. Louis, immediately brought us into their home with open arms and to our amazement the community came forward with overwhelming support.

Donations of clothing, groceries, monies, and even toys for my children began to roll through the door by the truck load, mostly from individuals we had never met, people that had no ties to my family, and absolutely no reason to help us at all.

We were utterly astonished by the support we received.

Growing up in Sault Ste. Marie, I have seen many times how our community pulls together during times like these, yet it is still so very stunning to see this happen first hand.

When you see something like this happen, it really helps lift your spirit and renews your faith in mankind as a whole.

I found myself sitting back and thinking: “Wow, people are truly good at heart.”

Many of us, myself included, tend only to see the bad in people.

We look only at the mistakes made, and ignore the good that has been done.

This is a strong misunderstanding of people, and a mistake I will never make again.

I know of no words that can truly express our gratitude for all the help and support given to my family during these times.

I would like to send my sincerest thank you to all the people that reached out and treated us a part of their own families.

You are all so very kind and generous beyond any expectations I could have ever imagined.

To a wonderful community, we will never forget what you have all done for us and hold you all close in our hearts.

I would also like to send out a special thank you to the following:

Sault Ste. Marie Fire Department and Emergency Services: You guys work everyday to make this community a safe place for all of us to live. You are a good group of people and we appreciate all the hard work you do for us.

Sault College: I'd like to thank the entire college, staff and students for all you have done for my family. Notably, John Clement and the natural environment and outdoor studies (NEOS) department. It is my honor and privilege to study with and learn from such a great group of individuals, you guys amaze me.

Matt Spina and Alan Lapierre: You guys are good friends and good people. Thanks for all the hard work you've put into setting up a benefit dinner and giving us all your support during these times.

Grand Gardens Banquet Hall: Special thanks to Ken Goodship, Lee Gauthier and Heather Lang for allowing us to hold a benefit dinner in your hall. You have a wonderful establishment and are great hosts. I would recommend you to anyone looking to hold a grand event. Keep up the good work guys and once again thank you.

Merchants of Sault Ste. Marie: Finally I would like to thank all the local businesses for your donations to the benefit dinner. Although there is far too many to list in one letter, personal letters of thanks will be mailed to all of you. Sault Ste. Marie is blessed to have such a generous group of merchants in our fine city.

With genuine sincerity,

Mike Mathieu and family

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