Sheriff's office helps family who lost home to fire

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When a family lost its home, and gifts, right before Christmas, a sheriff's office decided to make sure the children still got presents.

Emily Kerley and her two daughters weren't home at the time. She said someone broke into her bedroom and set their home on fire.

"The whole inside of the house was gone," she said.

Their two dogs died and their Christmas gifts didn't stand a chance. That kept weighing on Caldwell County deputies.
"I just felt like if we could do something, just a little bit, just to help out, it would be better than nothing," said Sgt. Earl Davis.

So just hours later, they collected money around the office. In 15 minutes, they had more than $600.

Davis called Kerley and told her to meet him at Walmart. He said he was taking her shopping, so her girls could still open gifts.

"They wouldn't have had a Christmas at all, not from me," Kerley said.

Others helped too. One of the girls' bus drivers bought her clothes as did their aunt's co-workers.

WSOC