Seven women and six children living in a transitional home for victims of domestic and substance abuse will be displaced for up to a month after a grease fire damaged their kitchen.
One of the women had momentarily left the stove unattended to check on a crying baby.
Another rushed into the kitchen, tossed the burning pan into the sink and turned on the faucet.
"The miracle of it is that it exploded upward and not into my face," said Jennifer Carpenter, 33, as she pointed to the soot-stained ceiling and charred kitchen cabinets about three weeks after the fire.
Carpenter and her 7-year-old son Maxel Magnum are among the 30 women and 40 children supported by Safe Havens for Little People, a nonprofit group that runs six transitional homes in Concord and Pittsburg.
Carpenter and her housemates will have to move out of the home in south Concord when construction workers repair the kitchen.
"The fire put us in a bad situation," said Safe Havens founder Karen Justice-Guard. "We're doing really good work, but we didn't expect a fire."
Although the landlord's homeowner's insurance covers the cost of kitchen repairs, finding and funding interim housing will fall to Safe Havens.
Relocating the families is a financial burden the organization is not prepared for, Justice-Guard said.
Safe Havens pays up to $20,000 a month for electricity, water and other necessities for the six houses, she said.
Founded in 1999, Safe Havens helps women learn self-sufficiency through programs in catering, candlemaking and other job placement services.
"It's not the way you fall, it's the way you pick yourself up," said Justice-Guard, a former heroin addict and victim of domestic violence. "You take one day at a time, which add up to a week gone by. You look back and you see progress and your life is changing."
How to help
Tax-deductible donations may be sent to Safe Havens for Little People, 5167 Clayton Road, suite D, Concord, CA 94521, or by calling Karen Justice-Guard and Kim Justice-Meyer at 925-676-4930. Donations of mattresses, bunk beds, washers and dryers are also needed.
Seven women and six children living in a transitional home for victims of domestic and substance abuse will be displaced for up to a month after a grease fire damaged their kitchen.
One of the women had momentarily left the stove unattended to check on a crying baby.
Another rushed into the kitchen, tossed the burning pan into the sink and turned on the faucet.
"The miracle of it is that it exploded upward and not into my face," said Jennifer Carpenter, 33, as she pointed to the soot-stained ceiling and charred kitchen cabinets about three weeks after the fire.
Carpenter and her 7-year-old son Maxel Magnum are among the 30 women and 40 children supported by Safe Havens for Little People, a nonprofit group that runs six transitional homes in Concord and Pittsburg.
Carpenter and her housemates will have to move out of the home in south Concord when construction workers repair the kitchen.
"The fire put us in a bad situation," said Safe Havens founder Karen Justice-Guard. "We're doing really good work, but we didn't expect a fire."
Although the landlord's homeowner's insurance covers the cost of kitchen repairs, finding and funding interim housing will fall to Safe Havens.
Relocating the families is a financial burden the organization is not prepared for, Justice-Guard said.
Safe Havens pays up to $20,000 a month for electricity, water and other necessities for the six houses, she said.
Founded in 1999, Safe Havens helps women learn self-sufficiency through programs in catering, candlemaking and other job placement services.
"It's not the way you fall, it's the way you pick yourself up," said Justice-Guard, a former heroin addict and victim of domestic violence. "You take one day at a time, which add up to a week gone by. You look back and you see progress and your life is changing."
