A family in our community is going through something no one ever expects.

On February 1st, a serious fire damaged an apartment building on Robinson Street. This family lost their home in a matter of seconds. Fortunately they all escaped unharmed, but with only the clothes on their backs. They were briefly able to return into their apartment accompanied by Moncton firefighters so they could collect essential belongings undamaged by the fire, smoke and water. They must now find a new home and start from scratch.

This family of eight moved to Moncton just over three years ago from Africa, where the father was a teacher and the mother was a nurse. They have six children, the oldest being 15 years old and the youngest only 3 months. The grandmother has been staying with them to help care for the baby. He is a stay-at-home dad, while the mother is a full-time nursing student on track to be a Registered Nurse in New Brunswick.

The parents must now rebuild their lives and create a sense of safety for their children while simultaneously dealing with their own trauma after such a scary event. This could happen to any of us.

We are coming together as neighbours to help them get back on their feet. Unfortunately, they received bad advice regarding insurance when starting out in Canada. As a result, they did not have tenants' insurance and now face significant challenges. Our goal is to raise enough to cover three months of rent, utilities and basic living expenses so they can secure housing and cover essential expenses while they rebuild. Having some stability will make a huge difference for this family after this traumatic event.

Anticipated costs:

Rent: $2200/month

Utilities: $350/month

Other expenses (food, transportation, etc): $1000/month

Folks can also donate much needed items (ex: clothes, furniture, dishes, etc). More info on this coming soon!

Monctonians have a reputation for showing up for one another, especially when it matters most. If you can help, whether by donating or sharing this page, your help reminds this family that they’re not alone in their new community.

Thank you for being the kind of community that takes care of each other.