On Friday, August 29, 2025 at 1:39am, our apartment was suddenly impacted by a fire in our building, started by a resident diagonally below us. We had less than 30 seconds to get out. We only grabbed our two cats and important document folder, and evacuated. The smoke, soot, and carcinogenic residue contaminated nearly every part of our apartment. Our couch, bed, bedding, clothing, shoes, and even our cats’ belongings were damaged beyond use, leaving us with little choice but to dispose of most of our essentials.

My boyfriend, Brandan, and I are doing our best, but the financial toll is overwhelming. We were not prepared for the cost of replacing almost everything we rely on daily, securing safe housing, and hiring fire restoration services to make our living space habitable again. On top of this, we are deeply concerned about protecting our cat, who deserves a safe, clean environment free from toxic exposure.

Funds raised will go directly toward replacing essentials, covering temporary housing, fire restoration services, and necessary legal services, to ensure we are properly protected and represented through this process.

We are so grateful for any kindness and support during this time. Every contribution — no matter the size — will go directly toward rebuilding our home, replacing necessities, and creating a safe place for us to live and heal. If you are unable to give, simply sharing our story would also mean the world to us.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping us through this.

Sonya & Brandan

Tokyo & Pesto (cats)