Vidalia — Losing everything has made the Boren family more thankful than ever.

Jim and Veronica Boren and their 12-year-old daughter Brittany were dished a large helping of perspective when their house caught fire earlier this month.

When the family gathers for Thanksgiving dinner at a friend’s house today, they will understand now more than ever that it’s the people around the table — not the six fried turkeys, two German chocolate cakes or furniture around the table — that count most.

The support and donations the Borens received since the fire have been “absolutely, completely, amazingly, utterly overwhelming,” Veronica said.

Jim, the acting assistant chief at the Vidalia Police Department, was at a Veterans Day program at Vidalia High School when he overheard firemen say they had to leave the program early for a fire at 1208 Apple St.

“Well, I guess I better go with you because that’s my house and I have the key,” Jim told the firemen.

Jim said when he saw the smoke rising still blocks away from his house, he turned off his police lights because he knew a stop light would not make a difference — his house was already damaged beyond repair.

Getting past losing the old pistol that belonged to Jim’s father and World War II ration cards that belonged to Veronica’s grandmother has been the difficult part.

But other than a few sentimental attachments, the Borens have realized the things they lost were just that — stuff.

As Brittany squeezed between her parents on a rented couch Tuesday in the family’s Ash Street rental house, Jim described the only truly irreplaceable things in his life.

“I can’t get another Brittany; I can’t get another Veronica,” Jim said.

“We’ve learned stuff is stuff and this is the important thing,” Veronica said, motioning to her husband and daughter on the couch.

Since the Nov. 9 fire that sent the Apple Street house up in flames was started electrically, Jim said it could have gone up at any time.

“It changed my outlook on everything,” he said.

He said he questions if his family would have survived if they had been at home during the fire, especially if they were asleep.

The community has also played a role changing the Borens outlook on life.

Folks have been coming out of the woodwork to support the Boren’s with food, clothes, money, housing and hugs.

It first came physically with hugs at the scene of the fire, and then phone calls and dishes of food came.

“It’s humbling,” Veronica said.

Donations are still being placed in an account Concordia Bank set up for the Borens. Brittany has more clothes now from donations than she had before she lost her old ones. And the principal at her school bought her a new purse.

Jim said he has received anonymous envelopes of money in his mailbox at work, and the most overwhelming donation came from a collection taken by employees at the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office and courthouse building. A large manila envelope was passed around at the building and employees dropped in personal donations out of their pockets.

The Borens have received overflowing support from their churches, The Highland Baptist Church in Natchez and First Baptist Church in Vidalia.

In addition, the people whose job it was to step up to the plate have been wonderful, Veronica said.

The Borens insurance agent Pattie Reed Morris with Reed Insurance Agency has been keeping in touch with the Borens on an almost daily basis. And Veronica said agents from Kemper insurance have addressed issues she did not know to ask about.

Veronica’s boss, Ronnie Freeman, invited the Borens to stay at their home in Ferriday for free, and the three were able to stay there until moving into the rental house.

The Borens usually host out-of-town family members at their house for Thanksgiving, but this year the Freemans invited them —along with Jim and Veronica’s siblings and their children from Ridgecrest, Texas and Tennessee.

The Comfort Suites also hosted the Borens for free one night in the executive suite.

Veronica said so many more people have supported them that there are too many to name, but she is overwhelmingly grateful.

Jim said losing his house to a fire has helped him be thankful for friends he never knew he had and also those friends who treated him with more compassion than he ever expected.

“We love this community,” Jim said. “Another thing — it’s not that I wasn’t a nice person before, but from now on I am a little nicer.”

“We like people more,” Veronica said.

Veronica said one thing the family has discussed after going through the rollercoaster experience of losing their house and being overwhelmed by support is they have decided become more active in the community and volunteer more than they already have in the past.

“I’ve talked about it with the family, and the decision we’ve made in response to all that’s been done for us is that we will pay it forward,” she said.

“People will see us more.”