Take 10 to Help Family of 10 after Home Explosion

Please take 10 minutes to Help a Family of 10 after they lost everything in a Home Explosion

#Take10toHelp10

Imagine. Sitting in your home, watching your children play and then all of a sudden you hear a loud sound and your home shakes… you instantly grab your children and just moments after escaping, your home explodes and is engulfed in flames. The house you spent the last 3 years working so hard make into a home for your family and everything you owned inside is gone. This is how Luis Jimenez recounts the night of Tuesday June 8th 2021.

So what happened?

On that night, near the intersection of S. Perkins and Chuck in Memphis, a van was struck by another car and lost control. The van barreled into the Jimenez home and damaged a gas line in the process which caused the home to explode. Amazingly, Maria, Luis and 7 of their children escaped without injuries as well as the driver; their 8th child was not home at the time. The home was essentially a complete loss.

Can you imagine trying to explain this to your children and reassure them that everything will be ok all the while not having a clue how you will ever recover from this? Although they are extremely grateful that they all made it out unharmed, they are at a loss for what to do next and how to start over… this is where we need your help.

This page is intended to get the word out about the tragedy that Maria Reyes and Luis Jimenez along with their 8 children (3-17yrs old) are living and ask the community to come together to help get this family get back on their feet.

Who am I?

I, Jessica, first heard about the family while watching the local news the morning after the incident.

Click here to read the news story

As fate would have it, the home of Maria and Luis is on my regular route to work and I drove by the home that morning. It was pouring rain and I saw the family outside rummaging through the rubble, desperate to find anything salvageable. It was heartbreaking. All day long, I just couldn’t stop thinking about those poor children and how difficult it must be for the parents.

I knew that I couldn’t turn a blind eye to their needs. I had to figure something out. On my drive home that evening, the family was still outside at the home. I had to stop and meet them. It was then that I vowed to help them however I could and that is what brought me to develop this GoFundMe page.

So how can you help?

#1- Spread the Word! There is strength in numbers and if we work together we can make a huge change in their lives. Word of mouth and sharing the page on social media will help us reach our goal.

#Take10toHelp10

#2- Donate- Money, Gift cards, Food, Home items, Clothing, Toys, and Services are all greatly appreciated.

More to come about donating items; we are working to plan a donation drive.

#3- Recruit- We understand that not everyone is able to give or help out, but do you know someone that may be an excellent resource for our fundraiser and may be interested in helping the cause? Ask them!

When it rains… it pours!

It seems this past year has rained misfortune on the Jimenez family… let’s try to change that. Let’s try to help it rain blessings down on them.

Want to really help this family and make a big impact? Let’s try to increase their monthly income and change their future. Are you able to help them find more steady employment?

Luis has been out of work since February 2021 when he suffered a stroke. Since then, Maria has been working small jobs like cleaning houses and preparing tamales for income. She is interested in gaining a more stable job, possibly at a factory.

Another option for helping their cash flow is to decrease their monthly debts. The family has a van with a $600/ month car payment and a balance of $2600. Can we come together and pay off that van and free up that debt?

The family is working with insurance to get into another home hopefully in the near future but will also likely have out of pocket expenses. As you know, the housing market has changed dramatically and the market they insured their home for is not the same as the market they will be forced to buy in today. The housing market is very competitive and they have a a huge task at hand to find housing that they can afford on their income, that also accommodated their large family. If you have a property that may be suitable, please reach out.

The home was essentially a complete loss. Once they get into another home they will need everything. The funds raised will help with purchasing the below home essentials.

• Appliances- washer/dryer, stove, refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher

• Kitchen essentials- pots/pans, dishes, silverware, washcloths and hand towels

• bedroom furniture- mattresses, dressers, sheets, blankets, pillows

• Living room furniture- couches, end tables, television

• Dining furniture- table and chairs to fit a big family

• Bathroom- bath towels and washcloths

• Toiletries- toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, dish soap, cleaner

** I plan to organize a donation drive soon, but we will update with details later as we know more**

If you have items listed above that you’d be interested in donating please let us know.

Thank you so much for taking 10 minutes out of your day to read about the Jimenez family. We have already seen an outpouring of interest from the community of people that want to help but don’t know how… I hope this helps better define their needs.