Last night, a fire in my apartment building’s electrical boxes left my family temporarily displaced. While my own apartment wasn’t directly damaged, the power and internet are out, making it impossible for me to work from home and care for my two children. On top of that, my car was destroyed in the fire, adding to the challenges we’re facing right now.

Since moving to Tennessee 3.5 years ago to escape domestic violence, I’ve worked hard to build a better life for my children. It hasn’t been easy—this is the third vehicle I’ve lost since coming here. The car I moved with was repossessed when I struggled to keep a job while bouncing from shelter to shelter. The next car I bought “as is” broke down within a year, leaving me without transportation for months and relying on rideshares to get my children where they needed to go. The car that was lost in last night’s fire was the first reliable vehicle I’d had in a long time, and I’d only had it for just over a year.

With no family nearby and few local connections, it’s difficult to know where to turn. My children and I are doing our best to stay hopeful, but the loss of our vehicle and the disruption to our home has made things incredibly hard. I need to find temporary housing and replace my car so I can get my work equipment set up and keep providing for my kids.

I am very thankful to be alive, and especially grateful to the stranger who knocked on my door and woke me up at 4am to tell me the building was on fire. God bless you!