Sunday’s fundraiser will help Vinton family that lost everything
VINTON–More than a month has passed since Heather Vineyard’s home went up in flames one cool November night. Yet for her, the horror is fresh every singe day. She still can’t forget her teenage daughter standing in the middle of their street screaming, begging her to do something to stop the fire. And she still can’t forget standing in her neighbor’s home across the street, just watching as flames leaped from her house, lighting up the night sky. The sense of loss, the experience of watching everything she worked towards for 35 years just disappearing still hits her every day– when she wakes up in a strange house, with clothes, and a bed, and furniture that carry other people’s memories, but not her own.
The back of Heather Vineyard's former home was damaged in a fire in November. Photo by Kristin Adams
Heather Vineyard and her daughter Autumn are living on other people’s discarded memories now, since the fire destroyed everything they owned. No more photos or home movies of Autumn as a baby, no more trophies from all of Autumn’s sports achievements. Even the clothes they wear every day aren’t their own. So now everything around her, every donated piece of furniture or clothing—even the house they are living in—brings back memories of that November night.
It was around 11:00 p.m. on November 29 when William Byrd High School sophomore Autumn Vineyard—an honor student who was still up doing homework— shook her mother awake, telling her that their downstairs neighbor’s smoke alarms were blaring. Heather Vineyard went outside to see what was happening when she saw her neighbor’s girlfriend. The girlfriend told Vineyard that the duplex was on fire, and Vineyard rushed back into the house to get her daughter, who refused to leave without saving her cat. They barely made it out; and when they did, they went across the street to neighbor’s home.
Vinton resident Heather Vineyard and her daughter Autumn lost everything in a fire in November. On Sunday, a fundraiser will be held to help them start over. Photo by Kristin Adams
“While we just watched the house go up in flames,” Vineyard said. “I had no idea what we were going to do. Just watching everything I’ve worked for for…35 years just disappear.”
They had lived in the duplex on W. Cleveland Avenue for three years, and had lived in Vinton since before Autumn was born. It wasn’t just Vinton people that came through the next morning, though. Roanoker Lora Manning Trout runs the Facebook page Promote Commotion to help small, especially home-based, businesses in the Roanoke Valley prosper. She had advertised Vineyard’s wedding cakes, a side business for the United Health Group employee, on the page. Once Trout heard that Vineyard had lost everything in a fire, she was immediately inspired to help by holding a fundraiser.
“Several of us were on a link about the fire commenting [that] we wanted to do something,” Trout said. “I made an event page for it asking for people who wanted to join and participate.”
As a result of promoting so many restaurants, bands, and businesses, Trout has a lot of friends in high places. Schooner’s offered one of their rooms as a venue, and several local bands came forward offering to help. The fundraiser will take place from 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 9 until 2:00 the following morning. The charge to get in is $5, with all of the money going to the Vineyard family. Those attending will be treated to eight performers; and Trout will raise extra money by raffling off four people for dates. Further, one of the businesses she promotes, Personal Touch Massage, will give ten minute neck massages for $10. On top of the fundraiser, Trout has also organized a trust for the Vineyards at Valley Bank so that people can make cash donations.
Trout wasn’t the only one to come forward in the Vineyard’s time of need, though. The fire’s destruction renewed Vineyard’s faith in the kindness of people, including strangers.
“It’s beyond strange, because you don’t think people care anymore,” Vineyard said.
She has received help finding a new place to live in Vinton; donations of furniture, a microwave, a toaster oven, and even a refrigerator; and clothes from anyone who could give them.
“I have all the important stuff, minus [enough] clothes,” Vineyard said.
She and her daughter are still in need of more winter clothing. Autumn wears size three pants with long legs, a size 11.5 shoe, and small or extra small shirts. Heather Vineyard wears size four to eight pants, medium tops, and size eight shoes. They are also in need of dishes, pots, and other things for the kitchen.
Still, with the upcoming fundraiser and the trust account at Valley Bank, and hopefully with more clothes donations coming in, they should have most of what they need soon.
“[Our new house] does have a lot of stuff in it, it’s just not what we had,” Vineyard said. “It’s hard starting over.”
It’s always good to read about good people reaching out to help others who are in the low times of their lives.