Lessons from a good day in Verona

Jeff Green | Jan 22, 2014

A lot of things went right last Monday in Verona.

When an electrical fire started at McMullen Manor, 28 people had to evacuate the building on a bitterly cold and blustery day. They did not know where to go at first and were sitting in their cars, but since one of them was a member of the Verona Free Methodist Church, soon they all trundled over to the church.

From then on, from all accounts, the community sprung into action.

The fire department was on the scene in minutes and managed to keep the damage to a bare minimum, but concerns over carbon monoxide and the need to be thorough meant that residents needed to stay away all day.

Once the Free Methodist Church's minister, Jeff Nault, and his team got in gear, food started arriving; people started offering to take people in overnight in case they could not go back home; local business started bringing in supplies; the residents had the run of the church and instead of feeling stressed they began to feel supported.

By late afternoon McMullen Manor was given the all- clear for residents to return home and the drama of the day was over.

But for the residents of the manor, memories of the day and the community support they received have lingered. For years, ever since McMullen Manor stopped being a seniors' residence in 2001, there has been a stigma attached to its residents. There certainly have been times when some of its residents earned the enmity of the community through their actions. However, residents of the home shouldn't be treated differently from anyone else in Verona just because of their address.

There is one other thing that a resident of McMullen Manor pointed out afterward last Monday. It would be helpful if information could be posted on the Verona Community Association and South Frontenac websites and also printed on a sheet of paper informing people whom to call when emergencies such as the one last Monday take place. 911 is good for emergency services, but a list of individuals and businesses who are willing to offer other kinds of emergency support would also be a useful document.