KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Matt Hannah, a Kansas City, Mo. police officer, his wife, Vicki, and their nine children feel humbled by the generosity of others, after their home was destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
RELATED: KCMO police officer, his family of 11, lose everything in house fire
The family has been coping well. They have a positive attitude and said the generosity from the community is holding them up during this very trying time.
“Because of the generosity of complete strangers, complete strangers; it’s going to be a good Christmas,” said Hannah.
The Hannah’s made it out of the fire with their lives, but nothing else.
“The house, it went up so fast and, you know when I lay my head down on the pillow at night, it’s really not about the house and the things that we lost, because we all made it and we are so grateful for that,” said Hannah.
People in the community have offered their homes, donated clothing, money, linens, and anything you can think of to help the family of 11 rebuild their lives. Saturday, they got to see just a small portion of what has been collected.
“We live in the greatest city in this country,” said Hannah.
They also got the opportunity to thank the fire crew who put out the flames, and the children got to climb in their fire truck and look around.
“They need to know that they are appreciated because they provide a very important service to people. Their skills and their service really impact people’s lives,” said Vicki Hannah.
For now, all 11 of the Hannah’s are living in a hotel.
“It’s not as difficult for us as those who might be in hotel rooms next to us,” said Hannah.
Living in cramped quarters is an illustration for the Hannah children old enough to understand just how close they came to disaster, but for the youngest, it is like a vacation.
“They are so excited about the pool. They have been swimming every day,” said one of the older Hannah children.
Another thing the Hannah’s want to stress is how important it is to have a plan in case a fire happens in your house. They credit advanced planning for the safe escape of their family.
There are a few options if you would like to donate to the Hannah family. Checks made out to “Matthew Hannah Donations” or cash can be mailed to PO Box 270020, Kansas City, Mo. 64127, or dropped off at any of the four Kansas City Police Credit Union locations:
- 2800 E. 14th Street, Kansas City, Mo.
- 8320 N. Brighton, Kansas City, Mo.
- 19341 E. US 40 Highway, Suite A, Independence, Mo.
- 9701 Marion Park Drive, Kansas City, Mo.
