Hello. My name is Tiffany Nicole White and I have a 5 year old daughter named Amaya. On the evening of July 4, after flying from Chicago to Atlanta from a trip celebrating my 24th birthday on July 1, I planned to drive home to Birmingham the following morning. Shortly after getting settled for the night, I received a phone call that my apartment building was on fire.

I was still in Atlanta, nearly two and a half hours away, unable to do anything but listen and watch on Facebook live as everything unfolded. Before I could make it home, I learned that the building was a complete loss.

By the grace of God, neither my daughter nor I were home. My five year old daughter was on vacation with her father, and I drove back to Birmingham. While I am incredibly thankful that our lives were spared, we have lost everything we owned.

The only belongings I have left are what I packed in a suitcase for my trip. My daughter and I lost our home, our clothes, shoes, furniture, beds, kitchen items, important documents, electronics, and nearly every necessity we had.

Perhaps the most heartbreaking loss is what can never be replaced. I lost family photographs, treasured keepsakes, and precious belongings that belonged to my late mother and my late grandmother, including their ashes. Those pieces of my family and the memories attached to them are gone forever.

I work full time while raising my daughter as a single mother, and I am also a full time college student at Miles College and community advocate in Birmingham. Like many families, I was working hard to build my future, but I did not have a personal renter’s insurance policy. Much of the money I had been setting aside was also lost in the fire. Overnight, I have been left with nothing but the suitcase I brought on my trip.

Asking for help is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, but today I have no choice. Your generosity will help provide temporary housing, clothing, toiletries, food, furniture, household essentials, school necessities for my daughter, and the basic items we need to begin rebuilding our lives.

If you are able to donate, no amount is too small, and every act of kindness means more than words can express. If you are unable to give, I would be deeply grateful if you would share this fundraiser and keep my daughter and me in your prayers.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for standing with us during one of the most devastating moments of our lives. Although we have lost nearly everything we owned, I am holding onto my faith and believing that, with God’s help and the support of our community, my daughter and I will rebuild one step at a time.