Blessing Through Ash Help for widow of 5 Children

I arrange this fundraiser with a heavy heart. Many of you know Constance Downing. If you know Constance you know that she is loving, kind, patient, a devout Christian with an unshakeable faith, & the mom of 5 amazing and talented children. Constance has the voice of an angel and her countenance has calmed me in times when I felt I was drowning in a tumultuous sea.

Constance grew up in a loving close knit family on Mountainview Avenue in Newark, NJ. In this home Constance grew, matured, loved, grieved, and started a family. She married the love of her life in the Livingroom and brought each of her babies home to the very home that had welcomed her.

Constance and her children have not had an easy few years. Her husband was diagnosed with heart disease and needed a heart transplant. By the grace of God he found a donor and had a transplant in 2020. Bernard had a miraculous recovery. He was back to his old self, laughing loudly and often, joking, and most importantly singing and praising with his church family. Tragically, about a year later his body rejected the heart. Bernard fought a good fight, but was unable to recover and passed away in December 2021. Constance has continued on through these dark times, coping with becoming a single mother of 5 overnight, and having to take on the immense responsibilities of parenting, coaching, supporting, all the while maintaining a home, a job and trying to keep a happy face for 5 children who no longer had their dad.

Just when things appeared to get routine the family was delivered another devastating blow. This past Sunday they were awakened to the house filled with thick smoke. The family scrambled to get out of the house through the heat, smoke and chaos. They tried in vain to save their family dog (whom Bernard named Buddy), but Buddy was so scared he wouldn't respond to their frantic calls. Buddy was found by firefighters huddled under the bed, and sadly he was deceased. The house was ruined by the fire, water and smoke damage and is no longer inhabitable.

We recognize the greatness of God even through the challenges and understand that there is always a plan even when we don't know what it is. Constance and all of the children were physically unharmed and will heal eventually.

The family is displaced, they are currently living with a family member and are trying to put 1 foot in front of the other and just move forward each day. This too shall pass!

Constance was resistant to this Gofundme as she is accustomed to being the blessing and not the benefactor. I ask that each person reading this donate as generously as you can. The family needs clothing, coats, toiletries, school supplies, and help with moving expenses, furniture & medical copays for counseling for the children.

If you are in a position to donate gently used shoes/clothing the children are the following sizes:

Girl: Children size 8, Shoes: 5

Boy: 14 (husky) pants, 14/16 shirt, Shoes: 7.0-7.5 (men)

Boy: 38/30 Men pants, Shoes: 11.5-12

Boy: 38/30 Men Pants, Shoes: 10.5

As is the case with Constance she did not provide any info about her sizes although she lost everything as well. She is a size 16 Women's and shoe size between 9.5

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any help you can offer this amazing family.