On a night that changed everything, a fire started in my son’s room when the hot water heater caught fire. My five kids and I had to run out of our home with nothing but the clothes on our backs—no jackets, no shoes, and no time to save any of our belongings. In just moments, we lost everything we owned and the place we called home.

Right now, our most urgent needs are finding temporary housing and replacing essentials like clothes and school supplies. My daughter, who is 16, is passionate about basketball and her season starts next week, but she lost all her gear and uniforms in the fire. My 15-year-old daughter loves music, and my sons, who are 11 and 5, are always active and playful, but they too lost all their toys and clothes. My oldest, who is 19, is also trying to cope with losing everything he had worked for. We are doing our best to stay strong, but starting over from nothing is overwhelming.

We are reaching out for help to rebuild our lives and provide some stability for my children as they try to return to school and their activities. Any support will go directly toward helping us find a safe place to stay, replacing what was lost, and giving my kids a sense of normalcy again. Thank you for reading our story and for any help you can offer as we begin to recover from this devastating loss.