There are very few silver linings to getting burned out of your home.

Paul Binert, a Sheet Metal Workers Local 292 member, found them: The mobile home occupied by Paul, his wife Brenda, and two children wasn't a total loss following the Dec. 13 fire. Everyone got out OK. And Paul found out that a lot of fellow union members and his employer care about their fellow man.

Fellow workers at Giffen where Paul works, building trades workers at the Chrysler Sterling plant and matching donations by the management at Giffen's shop provided $4,311 and some clothes to help the Binert family get back on their feet.

"There's a lot of smoke damage, and the insurance company is really dragging its feet," said Paul, who along with his family has been staying at a cousin's house. "This has been such a stressful time. The donations have helped quite a bit, and it shows that people really do care. We can't say thank you enough."

The smell of smoke and a smoke alarm awoke the family just before midnight. The fire and smoke did a good deal of damage to the mobile home, including ruining the family's Christmas presents. The fire was blamed on a faulty furnace.

The donations helped the Binerts pay to have the furnace repaired so that the home's pipes wouldn't freeze, and to purchase some building materials. Paul hopes his problems with his insurance company will be cleared up and he and his family will be back in his home soon.

"That's the good thing about union people, we stick together, and if people are in need we try to help them as much as possible," said Dean Carlson, Local 292 Recording Secretary and a co-worker of Paul's. "People have their own family to think about during the holidays, and it's nice that they think about others, too."