During the middle of the night, on Friday, Nov 28th, our family’s life changed in minutes. A fire broke out in the back staircase of our home in Jersey City and spread through the entire house. The firefighters worked quickly, but the damage was catastrophic — the attic ceiling collapsed, the entire structure burned, and every room was hit by heavy smoke, soot, and water.

We are grateful beyond words that all three of us (AJ, Tristan, and Storm) and our dog, Remy, were able to escape alive and unharmed. But almost everything inside the home was lost. Our clothing, important documents, personal items, everyday essentials, and the place we called home are now gone. We are currently staying with family while working with the Red Cross and Hudson County to figure out next steps.

As we begin the long process of rebuilding our lives, we’re asking for support from our community during this extremely difficult time. Your donation will help us with the immediate and ongoing essentials that we now need to replace from scratch, including:

We’ve set a goal of $15,000–$20,000, which reflects the real cost of rebuilding a household, securing a new home, and replacing what was lost. Anything you can give (big or small) will truly help us take the next step forward.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out, checked on us, and offered help during this overwhelming time. Your kindness is giving us strength. We will keep everyone updated as we navigate the next few days and weeks.

Thank you for supporting us as we rebuild.

~ AJ & the Feliciano Family