Less than two weeks before Christmas, a young Rochester family of five lost everything in a devastating house fire.

They were gone for just 15 minutes — a quick stop at the gas station.

When they returned, their home, belongings, and every trace of the life they were living moments before were gone. Nothing was salvageable.

The rooms where their children slept, laughed, and felt safe are now ashes.

The place they brought their baby home to just weeks ago no longer exists.

Emma and her other half, Nate, are parents to three young children:

• A 5-year-old boy

• A 2-year-old girl

• An 8-week-old newborn baby girl

Emma is just two months postpartum. Instead of settling into life with a new baby and preparing for the holidays, they are now carrying their children through a loss they can’t understand while holding their own grief together as best they can.

With Christmas less than two weeks away, they are also facing the quiet heartbreak of needing to replace every Christmas gift they had already chosen and somehow re-create warmth, joy, and holiday magic for their little ones — without a home, familiar traditions, or a sense of normalcy.

They are exhausted.

They are heartbroken.

And they are doing everything they can to be steady for their children.

Their kids are alive. They are safe.

And that is everything.

If you feel led to help — whether by donating, sharing, or holding this family in your thoughts — please know your support truly matters during this incredibly vulnerable season.

Right now, the hardest part of all of this isn’t the clothes or the baby items — it’s not having a place to call home.

Because of the fire, they truly lost everything. While they have been deeply blessed by the generosity of people stepping in to help with immediate needs, the reality is that they can’t move forward until they have a home again.

They can’t accept large furniture.

They can’t rebuild rooms.

They can’t begin to create stability for their kids.

Because they don’t yet have a place to put any of it.

What they need most right now is help securing a new place to live — funds for a security deposit, first month’s rent, and the basic costs that come with starting over from nothing.

A front door.

Bedrooms.

A space where their children can sleep safely and begin to feel grounded again after losing everything they’ve ever called their own.

As parents, it is incredibly painful to sit in this in-between — knowing their children need consistency and normalcy, but not yet being able to give them that because they are waiting for the most basic thing — a home.

Once they have a place, they can rebuild piece by piece.

But until then, financial support toward housing is what will help them take that first, critical step forward.

Thank you for surrounding this family with compassion and care at a time no one should have to navigate alone.

~

Ways to Support Emma and Her Family

Direct Support Options:

• PayPal: @edolton

• Cash App: $emmadolton03

• Venmo: @em_nic21