Phi Theta Kappa helps fire victims

December 15, 2010

South Piedmont Community College's chapter of Phi Theta Kappa jumped into action recently to help an Indian Trail family whose house burned Dec. 3.

The chapter gave Randy and Ronnie Sims $5,000 to pay the deposit for a new place to live and the first two months rent. The group also collected clothes, toys, furniture and household items and will deliver those on Friday (Dec. 17). The Simses lived in the home with their son Chris and granddaughter Grace (Allie).

Phi Theta Kappa Public Relations Officer Kim Gibson set the wheels in motion when she e-mailed Barb Firestone, receptionist on the Old Charlotte Highway Campus and the group's secretary-treasurer, about the fire. Gibson works part-time at Pebble Creek Golf Course, which was next door to the house that burned, and she knew the family through Allie.

Firestone saw an opportunity for Phi Theta Kappa and sent an e-mail to its members. Cindy Hinson, a student in the Medical Sonography program, took the lead in collecting money and items for the family. Almost all the donations were collected on campus.

"It?s Christmas time," Hinson said. "I try to do something every Christmas for a family that needs help."

"This was something nice to do for Christmas," Gibson said.

The Sims family was certainly appreciative, and surprised. "We knew someone was going to pay the deposit," Randy Sims said. "We didn't know who.

"I don?t know how you put it in words," he said. "If it hadn't been for them, I don't know what we'd have done."

"I thank God for people like that," said Ronnie Sims, who is a South Piedmont GED graduate.

The Simses said they were also grateful for help from others, particularly Stacy Burnette, the counselor at Sun Valley Middle School where Allie attends. "They have been really good to her," Ronnie Sims said.

Phi Theta Kappa is an international honor society for two-year college students.