CENTRAL SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — A Colorado Springs couple is turning a couch-built plan into a community-wide donation drive for people displaced by the Aspen Acres wildfires.
Jose Reveteriano and Marie Tissier, who live in the Patty Jewett neighborhood, launched the effort after watching news of the Aspen Acre wildfire spread online. They began planning on the first Monday the fire started.
"On those first days it was like already like more than 50 houses burned down," Tissier said.
"As soon as we saw that happen, it's just kind of look at each other and just said like we gotta help," Reveteriano said.
"And from right there on the couch, we built a small plan and then we put the flyer out and we started collecting," said Tissier.
What started as a call to action for their neighborhood quickly spread far beyond it.
"We got a few boxes here from neighbors and then over the weekend boxes showed up and more boxes," Reveteriano said.
"The request was beyond our expectation," Tissier said.
Over the past week, people have been stopping by their home to drop off donations. Strangers have been showing up, many of them having seen the couple's post online.
Their cars — two of them — are packed from top to bottom with donated items including clothes, toiletries, dog food and more. That does not include what is still inside their house. After seeing the overwhelming support, the couple said they will continue collecting donations to bring to Pueblo next week.
"We're going to just keep accepting them until next Thursday and then go ahead and make another run because obviously we will continue to help any way we can," Reveteriano said.
Reveteriano said he knows firsthand what wildfire devastation looks like. He served on crisis action teams during both the Black Forest fire and the Waldo Canyon fire. He and Tissier said they are grateful for all the work firefighters and first responders are doing. He too has experienced wildfires before.
"I saw the devastation and all the family members that needed help and everyone in our area that needed help. So the answer was that how can we help," Reveteriano said.
He is former military and has since retired from being on a crisis action team. Now, Reveteriano and Tissier own Rev It Up - Tennis & Pickleball and Mental Health Academy. They said it is another way to serve the community in a meaningful way.
The response from the community has now grown beyond what two cars can carry. U-Haul donated a truck to help transport everything to Pueblo.
"Just these last few days, we're overloaded and now we have to get a truck… U-Haul donating a truck just for us to take all of this stuff down now and down to Pueblo and everything to get to everyone that needs help," Tissier said.
Tissier said she they couldn't have done it without the help of the community, but also her mother, Patricia Tissier. She sorted and organized all of the donations received.
The couple plans to continue accepting donations through next Thursday, July 16. People can stop by at 1334 Lindenrose Grove in Colorado Springs from now until then.
