ANDERSON, Ind. —
Two weeks ago, a family from Summerlake was forced to move from their house after a fire. They went to the fire rescue house that had been set up by Skip Ockomon two years ago and has helped seven families displaced by tragedy.
This home is invaluable for families facing a bleak future. It allows them to come together and gives them time to make a plan of action in getting back on their feet. Madison County can use more homes like this, and Frank and Connie Caldwell decided to add another one in Alexandria. The Caldwells lost their son in a car accident and instead of putting his house up for sale, they approached Alexandria Mayor Jack Woods about a way for the community to use the home. This eventually led to a meeting with Skip Ockomon and a new fire rescue house was born.
Frank Caldwell said he wanted to do something in his son’s memory, and nothing could be better than this. When tragedy strikes, the result is often confusion and worry. Possessions are gone and possibly the fire injured a family member. It’s not a time to be concerned about where the family will go.
The rescue house is not a permanent arrangement, but the time there is used to put things back in order and begin building anew. Ockomon had a great idea with this. As a firefighter he saw the painful processes people went through after a fire and sought to give them at least a little peace of mind.
Ockomon said he’d like to take the idea to the national level, and this would be great. Communities could come together and help each other out. The Caldwells have certainly helped and they should be commended. What they’ve done, in the name of their son, is to give desperate people the help they need for a new start.
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