Disabled residents welcomed home to rebuilt house after it was destroyed by fire

MENTOR, Ohio (WOIO) - A welcome home party was held for disabled residents of a North Coast Community Home Thursday.

The four men moved back into their Mentor home after it was destroyed by a fire almost two years ago. They were forced to leave four days before Christmas in 2018.

One resident, Jay Hayslip, gave 19 News a tour of the rebuilt home. He said, “it feels better than it was.”

He and the three other residents moved into another house temporarily after the fire. Jared said, “I was sad to see everything go down the drain.”

Chris West, president and CEO of North Coast Community Homes said “we lost the entire house so then what happened is we moved the guys over to another place that day.”

Thursday, staff surprised the residents with a housewarming party to welcome them back. “They lost everything; pots and pans, clocks on the wall, lamps we have all of that,” said West. “They gave the residents presidents with new things for their home they lost in the fire.”

Jared said the new home is renovated on the inside and more open. Since he and another resident are in wheelchairs, he said, “it makes it a lot easier and everything’s more updated.”

He said the home “means a lot. I’ve been here since 2004. The other guys longer than me.”

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