Dear Family and Friends,

We write this with a heavy heart and a new perspective on life.

On Thanksgiving afternoon, while most people were cooking and celebrating the holiday, a family very dear to us lost their home and every belonging they owned in an apartment fire. This is the amazing family who helps care for our home and our grandkids. Melissa, a single mom, her mother Bella, and Melissa’s two young daughters, Bella age 8 and Delilah age 10, were all inside their apartment preparing their Thanksgiving meal. It was also Bella's 8th birthday. In the blink of an eye, the place they called home was gone.

Grandma had just started preheating the oven when smoke began rising from behind it and quickly filled the kitchen. Seconds later, their entire apartment was engulfed in flames, taking everything with it.

It is a true miracle they made it out alive, let alone without injuries.

Now reality sets in. Everything is gone. No furniture, no household items, no clothing, shoes, or personal belongings. They left with only the clothes on their backs and gratitude in their hearts for being alive.

It has been a powerful reminder to David and me of how quickly life can change. We go through our days assuming our homes and belongings will always be there, until one unexpected moment shows just how fragile everything really is. So many of us take basic living essentials for granted. If we lose something, break something, or run out of something, we replace it without thinking twice. But not all families, including this one, have that ability.

David and I have secured temporary housing for them, so they have a safe place to stay while they begin their search for permanent housing. But it does not end there. Once they find a new place, they will have to fill it... and that's where all of us come in.

Please join us in helping this deserving family get back on their feet and begin their lives again. With your support, we can give them hope and a positive path forward.

With grateful hearts,

David and Peggy