Island family devastated by Dorian thanking community for support

An Island family from Miscouche is giving back to the community they say helped keep them afloat after post-tropical storm Dorian. 

As Dorian raged, large portions of the Servos' home were damaged by flooding, both in the basement and sections on the main floor of the home — some areas were damaged beyond repair.

The family of six had hoped to stay in in their camper trailer until their home could be repaired, but it also fell victim to Dorian, like so many others that had been parked at Crystal Beach Campground. 

They lived in a hotel room for several weeks, until a small house became available to rent. The months that followed were busy and stressful. 

'Just chaos'

"It was just chaos," said Amanda Servos. 

"A lot of phone calls, a lot of meetings with contractors trying to get things lined up, while trying to deal with work and the kids and trying to keep them sane."

But the family said during those difficult months, they were overwhelmed with support from the community receiving everything from gift cards and food, to handmade blankets and offers to babysit. 

Giving back

And now, they want to say thanks — and Merry Christmas — to the people who offered them so much help and support, with Christmas cards handmade by the children, and gift bags full of treats. 

"To thank people that helped us out, but also to give back to people who may be just needing a little bit of a Christmas pick me up," said Brent Servos, who plans to deliver the items to people in the community over the next few days with his four children. 

"It should be nice to see the reactions on people's faces," he said.  

"They want to go sing to some people, they just want to have fun, and they just like giving anything," Amanda said. 

She said even though her children are young — ranging in age from three to nine — the generosity to the family over the past several months wasn't lost on them, and left a lasting impression.

"They realized what people were doing for them, and they got quite overwhelmed," Amanda said. 

"So they really wanted to do something at Christmas to help people." 

Home for Christmas

The family was recently able to move back into their house, and said after months of juggling extensive renovations with full-time jobs and four young children, it's nice to be able to relax, and enjoy Christmas at home together.  

"Now we can get back to living a normal life," Amanda said. 

"And getting the kids back on a routine and structure so they feel safe again. They're not having nightmares and everyone's just so relaxed, you can feel it."

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