Hello St Johns County Community!

One of our own families need our support. On Sunday night, November 30th, the Cantona family’s lives were forever changed when a fire broke out in their garage. Thankfully, the family and their beloved black lab, Piper, made it out safely.

Tragically, the fire spread quickly, destroying the garage, much of the home, and all of their belongings. The damage is extensive — ceilings, windows, and the roof must be replaced, and large portions of the house will need to be rebuilt down to the studs. The family will likely be displaced for a year as they work through this overwhelming recovery process.

The Cantona family lives off Greenbriar Road and are deeply rooted in our community. The father is a retired police officer, mom is a medical assistant, and their oldest son is a high school senior and baseball player, while their youngest, in 4th grade, loves baseball and fishing. This should be a year filled with celebrations and memories of their son’s senior year, but instead they are facing the difficult reality of rebuilding their home and lives.

While we are grateful for their safety, the road ahead is daunting. They have lost everything inside their home and are in urgent need of support for temporary housing (likely furnished rental for now), food, and all home essential items — the everyday things most of us take for granted until they’re suddenly gone.

The coming weeks will be especially challenging as they begin to rebuild, made even harder with Christmas right around the corner. If you are able to give — no matter how small — please consider donating to support this family during this difficult time. Together, we can help ease their burden and show them the strength of our community.