Family loses home to fire

The house caught fire last night, it was put out, bupeople. ortunately it restarted around 3:00am this morning and the two-story structure is now a total loss after fire fighters had to tear it down to prevent the fire from spreading.

**UPDATES: make checks at Bonanza Valley State Bank payable to: "Jiminez fire fund" and let's show the family how Jaguar Country rallies behind one another in times of great need!!! If you can't physically drive to the bank this week or in the near future, the mailing address is:
Bonanza Valley State Bank
PO Box 400
Brooten, MN 56316

Below are clothes sizes for what the family needs for clothing. Rooster's Bottle Shop is the current drop-off site. Hours are Monday-Wednesday 10:00am to 10:00pm and Thursday-Saturday from 9:00am to 10:00pm. Read below for other information. Another thought...once housing can be found for the family, other items like a TV, kitchen ware and simple things like books, toys, etc. can be donated as well.

CLOTHES SIZES:
Girls/women: 
XL Jr. Tops, size 11 jeans
Med. Jr. Tops, size 9 jeans
Girls size 10-12
Women's size 12, men's med. or women's large

Boys/men
Med. men's shirts, 32x30 jeans
Boys 14-16
Boys 10-12
Lg. Men's shirts, 36x30 jeans

**Another update: here's a secure online way to donate to this family, giving another great option for the public to do our part. Click on the link and then donate as you are able to. Even if it's just $10 it will add up in a hurry!
http://www.gofundme.com/ba7b4c

Background:
A Brooten family with six children lost their home to a fire overnight on the morning hours of Wednesday, July 9. Miraculously, no one was injured. The mom of the family is a full-time teacher at the Jaguar Kids Connection at the B-B-E elementary school. I can't imagine what they're going through. It has to be overwhelming. They are a family that's very involved in the town and school and would be the first to offer help to others in this type of calamity. The fire started on a malfunctioning golf cart in the driveway, and it was completely, totally accidental fire that quickly hit the house and grabbed onto the vinyl siding. It's the kind of fires that can happen to anyone that you'd never, ever plan for or think could happen to you. I'm still a little shocked that it happened just three blocks from our house. (Now would be a good time to go check your fire alarms BTW!) As sad as I am about this, I remind myself that it's a miracle that we don't have a funeral of a child or parent in the works.

I think back to my farming days, and my days as a kid on a farm and all the times I handled old batteries or worked on small engines and even hot small engines and wonder how many close calls I had that God's Angels instead took care of. Uuf Da.

****For folks of Jaguar Country: you can drop of household items/clothes at Rooster's Bottle Shop (they close at 9:00pm) in Brooten. It appears that the family lost all their possessions in the fire except the vehicles parked in the driveway. They have three teenagers and three upper-elementary age kids. The Brooten city clerk is gathering details on what sizes of clothes they wear.

ALSO spread the word that cash donations are being accepted at the Double-D Thrift Shop (at the former Jim's Corner grocery store) so the family can come in and pick up necessary items at no charge. Every 5 or 10 dollars goes a long ways! (And THANK YOU Deb for getting on that right away!)

A formal donation fund is being set up at the Bonanza Valley State Bank...details to follow on that along with clothes sizes for donations.

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