Lynnfield — When Edward Aoude, president of Mason Steel Buildings in Lynnfield, received a call from a Michigan phone number in March, he never expected what he was about to hear. Aoude, who was simultaneously in the middle of training a few employees, promised to call the woman back.
The woman’s name is Sherri Converse, a mom of four daughters currently living in Yale, Michigan. Converse was out running errands and had gotten a flat tire when she suddenly received a call from her 10-year-old daughter that their four-bedroom home, which sits on 10.29 acres of land, had suddenly caught on fire. A mouse had chewed through electrical wiring, sparking a fire that quickly spread throughout the home, destroying everything in its path. Converse, who had just lost her sister a few days before due to stage 4 cancer, had suddenly found herself facing yet another tragedy. Her family lost both their home and even a few of their pets.
Converse, who bought the house in cash 13 years ago using money that had been left to her by her late grandfather, tried calling a number of different businesses to help her rebuild her home. After a month and a half, she ended up trying Mason Steel Buildings — and it was Aoude who happened to be the one that picked up the call.
That’s when Aoude told her that Mason Steel Buildings would donate an entirely new home to her family.
“We’re always looking to help someone when we can, and honestly, the way it happened and the way I took that call, it was really like [Sherri] said. She was like, ‘It’s like God directed me.’”
The news left Converse overwhelmed.
“I cried, and told them how much I love them and how thankful I am. If it wasn’t for them, I seriously don’t know what I would do, still to this day,” said Converse, who now lives in a camper on the property with her children after purchasing it with money raised through a GoFundMe campaign started by her niece.
Now, with the help of Mason Steel Buildings, Converse and her family will be getting a brand new, steel-frame home that’s built to last. The company has built a reputation for delivering customizable steel buildings designed to resist rot, corrosion, and termite damage. Their process, Aoude explained, includes designing the building using different software programs. They then reach out to local building departments to verify the building will pass local building codes. Once plans are approved by both the municipality and the customer, the company engineers laser-cut steel bolt-up kits for construction.
Converse has remained incredibly grateful to everyone for their support throughout the entire process. In addition to Mason Steel Buildings, Aoude said that companies such as Home Depot and Lowe’s are donating supplies as well to help with the project.
Both he and Zaynab Kadri, who serves as the director of operations, have been inspired by the resilience of Converse and her children.
“They’re so strong and so positive,” said Kadri.
Converse said she’s also received help to make living in the trailer more manageable, including from Carl’s Septic Service, who donated a porta potty to them to use outside and has even offered to clean it weekly. Blue Flame Propane has hooked their camper up to gas, allowing the family to cook and heat the camper during the winter.
As for what was left of their home, Converse credited Marcotte Disposal for donating a dumpster to help with the cleanup, while Maverick Excavating has helped tear down all of the burnt rubble and will soon be returning to remove the concrete. She’s also received a great deal of support from local churches and is grateful to everyone who has donated.
“I’m a fighter,” Converse said. “I always have been my whole life. When you get knocked down, you just got to get up. You [might] want to curl in a ball and cry and not do any of it, but you have to just fight and keep going.”
In terms of what happens next, Mason Steel Buildings is actively working to help Converse throughout every step of the process, even after the building is completed. They recently launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $16,000 for the home’s interior, including framing, appliances, flooring, countertops, lighting, electrical work, and plumbing.
While Mason Steel Buildings’ expertise is only in designing and building the exterior of the home, they’re now calling on the community — from Lynnfield to Michigan — to step up, too.
“We believe businesses have a responsibility to give back. Helping Sherri and her family rebuild their lives is an honor,” Aoude said. “Tragedy can strike at any time, and unfortunately, it struck Sherri and her family, and as a community and as a local business, we hold a responsibility to give back. Now, we’re asking you to do the same.”
