MADAWASKA, Maine — A Grand Isle woman who lost both her home and a business to separate fires just weeks apart is getting back on her feet after an outpouring of support she never saw coming.
Kristen Henry and her 15-year-old son, Bradley, lost nearly everything in a devastating November fire. Then Henry, who was hired as Madawaska’s economic and community development director in October, lost a business space in a Van Buren fire last weekend, which also displaced a resident in an adjacent building.
But thanks to generous neighbors, Henry and her son have necessities and a place to stay for the winter. Born in Maine and raised in South Carolina, she has lived in other places, including Kentucky and Florida, but has never seen anything like the generosity she’s experienced in northern Maine. From what she can see, it stems from a self-sufficiency ingrained in Aroostook residents.
“I can honestly say that I don’t think an entire community would have come together like that in any of the other places I’ve lived,” she said. “Everybody says it’s because it’s a small town where everybody knows each other, but I don’t think that’s what it is at all. This is, culturally, a resilient community that has always had to rely on and support itself.”
The fire at her Grand Isle home was caused by a space heater and resulted in the house being a total loss, Henry said. Maine Public Safety officials said the Van Buren fire was likely caused by a pellet stove.
Henry’s daughter was also temporarily staying with them and taking online college courses for the semester. In a matter of minutes, they lost nearly everything.
One of the first people to help was Henry’s friend Nicole Pelletier. The women’s sons are close friends and both go to school and play soccer and basketball together. Pelletier gathered clothes for Bradley, who only had pajamas and a shirt when he fled the fire.
“She ran around and collected stuff and brought it down to Grand Isle so he could get dressed. And it just rolled in after that,” Henry said.
Within a day, the Madawaska Middle High School community raised money for Bradley to start replacing everything he lost in the fire. A resident with an Airbnb offered to let them stay there for the winter. The place even has a fenced-in area for the family dogs, she said.
The school held a fundraiser in which kids could pay to wear pajamas, and at a recent varsity basketball game, Wisdom Middle High School in St. Agatha donated the money from a 50/50 raffle to Kristen and Bradley.
Pelletier’s son, Lucas, knocked on doors around town, collecting donations. After about two hours he came home with an envelope full of roughly $600 from Madawaska residents.
“I cried because I was so proud of him,” Nicole Pelletier said. “He did this on his own.”
Lucas said he was inspired by his Christian faith to reach out and give to his friend Bradley when he was in need. Giving makes him happy, and he said the feeling one gets when giving to others is “almost incomprehensible.”
Pelletier herself is paying forward the support she’s received. Lucas’ father was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2017 and the entire community rallied behind them, she said. In fact, this will be the eighth winter that a fellow resident has insisted on snowblowing her driveway for free.
“I’ve tried to teach my kids that even when it’s hard, life is still good,” she said, “and that there are still blessings, and for them not to forget what we’ve been through.”
Madawaska Selectboard Chair Jason Boucher and Administrative Specialist Denise Duperre offered support. Boucher also started a GoFundMe campaign that has already raised close to $4,000.
“Kristen is a vital and dedicated member of our community, serving as the Community Development Director for Madawaska,” Boucher wrote on the page. “She tirelessly works to improve our area, and now, she urgently needs our support in return.”
With her family in a stable place, Henry wants to pay that forward.
The recent Van Buren fire displaced resident Matthew Mussen, and Henry is calling on the community to help him.
Henry also owns a redemption center in Van Buren and is letting customers choose to donate a portion of their bottle proceeds to Mussen. A resident started a GoFundMe for Mussen, which has raised more than $4,000.
“It means a lot, and it’s also given us the ability to pay that generosity forward,” she said. “The community has shown up for me twice in three weeks, and I really want to make sure Matthew gets that same support right now.”
