Islanders give from heart to devastated city family TERESA WRIGHT The Guardian

Kenny MacNeil, an employee with Moveall, works to repair the damaged Brackley Point Road house of Frank Wood in Charlottetown. Guardian photo by Heather Taweel

Generous Islanders moved by the plight of a Charlottetown family whose house was ruined by floodwaters have been coming forward to help the family rebuild their home and their lives.
Over 100 millimetres of rain was dumped on P.E.I. two weekends ago, causing the 54-foot wall in Frank Wood’s basement to collapse, ripping out the plumbing and leaving the home unstable and unsuitable to live in.
His home owner insurance with Dominion of Canada did not cover the extensive damage to his home.
He went public about his ordeal to warn others that no insurance company covers damage caused by ground or surface water. But after hearing about his sad predicament, Islanders have started reaching out to help Wood and his family.
Friends and acquaintances have been helping to clean out the wrecked basement, and other volunteers have joined in the clean-up effort. Many have even been sending in money.
“People have been dropping by and helping out and some have offered to donate money,” Wood said.
“It’s really great to know that people are out there willing to help.”
So many people were calling and dropping by, asking how they can donate money, Wood’s brother, Kevin, set up a trust fund at the Metro Credit Union for the family so people have somewhere to send donations.
Businesses have also been coming forward and offering in-kind donations and services.
Blair Lapierre, who owns Mr. Plumber, and several of his employees have offered  labour and equipment to help Wood re-install the heating and plumbing in his Brackley Point Road home.
Manager Blair Smith said he and his colleagues were saddened to hear of Wood’s plight and they wanted to help.
“We feel that he’s in a situation that almost any one of us could be in and it’s just really too bad the way things are going for him so we wanted to do what we could to help out.”
Smith said many were especially sympathetic when they learned that Wood had just finished building an addition to the back of the house to make a room for his father-in-law, who is dying of brain and lung cancer.
“It just really tugged at the heartstrings and you just feel really bad that this was going to turn out like this.”
That’s why Mr. Plumber is also issuing a challenge to other local contractors to help supply equipment and labour to help the Wood family rebuild their home.
Others have also been offering aid. A mystery donor has hired a construction crew to shore up the house and ready it to receive a new foundation. Little Christo’s pizza gave free food to the volunteers helping out with the clean up and Flex Mussels restaurant on the waterfront treated the Wood family to a full meal, compliments of the house.
“My daughter Jolisse just thought that was the greatest thing. She got all dressed up and asked her mom to do her hair,” Wood said.
“She was princess for a day so that was really great of them to do that for us.”
The family’s life was sent into turmoil when their home was wrecked, but things are starting to look up due to the kindness of Islanders.
“It’s nice to know that there’s people out there who are willing to help people that they don’t even know,” Wood said.
“I’ve never been the person who needed it, but it’s nice. It’s taking a lot of the stress off.”
Grant said he believes more people will come forward and help the Wood family rebuild their lives.
“It’s just the Island way,” he said.