DETROIT (WXYZ) — A chaplain for the Detroit Police Department finds herself in need of support. Mary Autrey said a fire gutted her home over the weekend.
On the outside, the home on Bramell Street looks normal. However, the junk at the curb gives a clue about what’s sadly going on on the inside.
“As you can see, everything is destroyed and melted away from the heat," Autrey said.
Sunday morning at 4 a.m., Autrey said she received a phone call that her home had caught fire. She said she and her granddaughter were away at the time, but her daughter had been asleep inside.
“It’s kind of hard to look at this. It’s not easy," she explained.
Fortunately, in the bedroom where her daughter was sleeping, there’s a door that has access to the outdoors. She made it out.
“I thank God for a way of escape for her. The smoke could have hurt her, killed her," Autrey said.
That dreadful call about the fire came from her daughter who, she said, oddly left the stove on for heat. The fire department says you should never use the stove for heat. Autrey said she has a working furnace.
Now, as a relatively new chaplain for DPD in charge of praying for others, the minister finds herself in need of a helping hand.
“The chaplain core is a blessing for my life, ya know, just to be able to serve God’s people," Autrey said.
She's fulfilling her purpose through service to others and also serving as a cautionary tale. Autrey tells 7 Action News her homeowner’s insurance had lapsed.
“Because I’m a low-income mom, I had to let it go for at least three months. And I had planned to put it back on before the month was out. But I didn’t make it," she explained.
According to Insurance Information Institute’s 2020 Pulse Survey, 93 percent of homeowners have insurance. That leaves 7 percent uninsured. Autrey said the first estimate she received for restoration was at least $10,000. That doesn't include replacing her belongings.
While she’s looking for help, she's keeping perspective.
“My main concern is my daughter is alive," Autrey told 7 Action News.
If you want to help, alink to a Gofundme for Autrey can be found by clicking here.
