Single Woman Displaced By Arson Fire

On the afternoon of July 4th, Victoria's life was changed when she received news that her apartment had been destroyed by arson. The fire, set by her upstairs neighbors who were arguing violently, spread throughout the apartment and collapsed part of her ceiling. What was not destroyed by the fire was damaged by the water which firefighters used to extinguish the flame. Her bedroom was the worst damaged space as the ceiling collapsed in on top of her mattress. Amidst her lost items are a family-inherited wooden bedroom set, damaged by both the water and ceiling collapse, along with her mattress, clothing items, and countless other personal effects that we all keep around our homes. As the building is unsafe and all of her belongings are covered in tarps from the firefighters, it is impossible to know what other items sustained damage at this point.

While we are thankful that Victoria was out of the building and safe during the fire, her cats, Olive and Annie, were in the apartment. Both were very frightened and shaken up by the scene, but while Olive came out right away, Annie hid for hours after the fire was extinguished. When she finally emerged from the inside of the apartment, she was covered in ashes and had suffered smoke inhalation. Annie was hospitalized overnight at the emergency vet, but now Victoria is faced with an enormous veterinary bill totaling $700.00.



Victoria is an animal lover and was most distraught by the chance that her animals had been injured, and Olive and Annie were her priorities from the first moment she heard the news. Annie is a recently rescued Calico, and gray Olive has a lovable spirit. With some TLC, both cats will make a full recovery, but they are in need of a safe and stable home with mom Victoria.

Victoria is a brave woman in many ways. She moved to Baltimore from central Pennsylvania and built her own community of friends through work and social engagements. She does not have any family in the area, and has relied on her own income to take care of herself, Olive and Annie. The Red Cross disaster relief has only provided her with temporary housing for two nights in a hotel. After that, Victoria will need to salvage what is left from her apartment and build a new home for her and her cats. With no requirement of renter's insurance and no compensation from her landlord, she is left without only herself and her small amount of personal resources.

This unpredictable act of violence has left Victoria, her cats, and others in her apartment building as victims of circumstance, so we ask for your aid in helping Victoria regain control of her circumstance and find a safe and happy home for herself, Olive and Annie. Any contribution that you can make will make a difference in the lives of this young woman and her two cats, and we will thank you with grateful hearts. Victoria is a strong, loving and committed young woman who, with your help and support, can overcome this tragedy and create a new start for herself. Please contribute to helping her rise above this unthinkable life circumstance and help her to find a positive outcome.