With permission from
The Monroe, La. News Star
By Eleanor Rushing / Team Editor

RAYVILLE - Myrna Lockwood fought tears Friday as she watched the unloading of two truckloads of home furnishings.

"Wonderful. Wonderful," Lockwood kept repeating. "I couldn't be happier. This is the most wonderful thing that has ever happened."

Margaret Croft Photographer

Myrna Lockwood, 55, left, her daughter, Alicia, 18, far right, and grandson, Matthew Pickel, 5, watch as James Bake, 22, and Craig Hodge, 31, back to camera, install a refrigerator at her new home.

Lockwood, 55, and her daughter Alicia Lockwood, 18, were left homeless May 27 when their home at 313 Franklin St., Rayville burned. All their possessions were destroyed.

Lockwood was asleep. Alicia said she detected the fire and woke her mother.

Shortly after the fire, Lockwood's son Donald Pickle, 29 of Rayville, visited Craig Hodge at Rent-A-Center, 1932 Louisville Ave., Monroe, where Hodge is manager.

"He (Pickle) is a customer," Hodge, 31, said. "He came in with her (Lockwood) and asked if we had anything we could donate to her because she lost everything in the fire."

Hodge called James Hashimoto, market manager for Rent-A-Center stores in Ruston, Monroe, West Monroe, Bastrop, Shreveport, Crossett, Ark., and Marshall, Texas.

Hashimoto, 40, decided to help and contacted his stores.

"We decided it was the right thing to do," Hashimoto said. "They have nothing, and it would be very hard for them to get everything because she is on a fixed income. We have done stuff like this before on smaller scales, but never a house full of furniture."

The donations started at Hodge's store.

"I called my boss and said I had a washer and dryer," he said. "It was like a snowball-rolling-down-the-hill effect. He called other stores and got a houseful of furniture."

Lockwood watched men unload previously used items, including a purple sectional sofa, black chrome accent tables with mirrored tops, lamps, a refrigerator, two complete bedroom sets, a television and a video cassette recorder into the two-bedroom mobile home she used a $500 voucher from the American Red Cross to buy.

Hashimoto said the total value of the furnishings is about $4,000.

Pickle said Bob Moss Carpet and Ouachita Lumber, both in Ouachita Parish, provided plywood and carpet for Lockwood's home.

Lockwood hugged and thanked Hodge.

"When you lose your house and people come together to help you, it's just wonderful," she said.
 

copyright News Star, 2003