Renita lost her two daughters Hailey and Payton in a fire in Bushwick  on December 9th. They were nine and seven years old.

Renita was a student in my advisory class at Bushwick Leaders' High School in Brooklyn. She became a mother at a young age, but that never stopped her from loving her daughters fiercely. I remember visiting Renita at home after Hailey was born. I got a chance to hold the new baby and was struck by what a responsibility Renita would have in raising this sweet girl. Since then, Renita has always impressed me with the deep love and care she gave to her children.

Renita and her husband Vincent have had several deaths in the family in the past few years. I know they can use financial support to help cover funeral costs and to provide counseling for the family in the wake of this terrible loss.