The Snay family lost everything when fire destroyed their home on Vining Street on December 30th.   As flames spread rapidly and the house filled with smoke, they evacuated quickly, leaving everything behind.  Since then, Todd and Beth are taking steps to put their lives back together.  They found out how interdependent our world has become.  Just getting a new cell phone can be an ordeal when pin numbers, credit cards and other documents aren’t readily available.  

Beth Snay says she is overwhelmed and grateful for the help offered and received.  It has gone well beyond moral support.  The Universalist Unitarian Church of East Liberty, 2231 Jefferson Road, is collecting funds for the Snay’s and is planning to accept household items for them.  By going to the Church website and clicking the “give” button at the bottom of the page, donors can specify the Snay family via the dropdown menu.  The community has been generous.  About $2,000 has been collected so far.  The Church is announcing the following dates and times to donate household items.

• Tuesday, January 12, 3:30 – 6 pm
• Thursday, January 14, 11 am – 2 pm
• Tuesday, January 19,  10 am – 11:30 am & 4 pm – 6 pm
• Thursday, January 21, 10 am – 3 pm
• Tuesday, January 26, 10 am – 6 pm
• Thursday, January 28, 10 am – 3 pm

To drop off items, the church asks you to go around to the side entrance and ring the buzzer.  They intend to store them in their social hall, until the Snay’s can use the items. 

The Snay’s plan to rebuild, but it could be a year before the new house is ready.  In the meantime, they are looking for a rental somewhere nearby. 

Todd and Beth continue to work.  The couple drives a roundtrip route between here and Albany, New York, three times a week, each taking a shift behind the wheel.  Todd has been a trucker for over 20 years, and Beth made it a joint-affair five years ago.  Their daughter, Jessica, lives in Grass Lake.  She and her husband are expecting their second child in seven weeks.  Todd and Beth’s son, Jonathan, is serving in the Air Force and has returned to his duty station in Wichita Falls, Texas.  Jonathan was in the house with his parents when the fire broke out.  Along with his parents and the family’s two dogs, he also escaped unharmed.

The Snay’s house was located on Vining Street.  This area has played a significant role in the development of Clark Lake.  To read some of the history of the Village, please go to the article by clicking here, and scrolling down.  Also in that article are the challenges the firefighters had to face. 

Below is a video of the fire on Wednesday, December 30, and the sad aftermath the next morning.