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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
Laura Rumbel

Community's quest to help Greta family who lost home to fire

Ross and Katrina Sneddon with their daughters Holly (left) and Paizley (right) and the house fire aftermath (inset). The couple also have two sons.

The Sneddon family may have lost everything they owned in a recent house fire, but today they are counting their blessings and feeling the love of their local community.

All six family members escaped the Greta blaze unharmed but with only the clothes they were wearing.

Fast forward one week and they each have a new perspective on life. They are safe and their community is rallying around them in a quest to raise funds to get them back on their feet.

The house fire, on August 1, came less than a year after Ross and Katrina Sneddon bought the property which was their first home.

The couple and their teenage children, two girls and two boys, are now spending the next two weeks in an Airbnb while their insurance company tries to find them a 12-month rental.

The family has already been inundated with offers of support. "People were stopping on the side of the road to see whether we needed anything. Everyone has been fantastic," Mr Sneddon said.

The electrical fire broke out in one of the bedrooms - Mr Sneddon said it all happened so quickly. "All we got out of the house was what we were dressed in and that's pretty much it," he said.

Mr Sneddon said the community has generously donated clothing which they are forever grateful for.

"A friend of ours is starting to fill up their garage with excess clothing and other items we don't use, which we will re-donate," he said.

The Sneddon's, however, are in desperate need of basic furniture they can use in their rental, while they wait for their Greta home to be rebuilt.

"We'll need crockery, a fridge, dining table and chairs, just the basic stuff," he said.

Any donations to the Sneddon family, can be made through their GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/kfd3fy-the-sneddon-family


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