UPDATE: You all are AMAZING! With your help, Ana and her family can pull together move-in funds and are applying for affordable rentals. "Que bendicion" says Ana -- "What a blessing." Also, we've collected several boxes of donated clothing, a set of pots/pans and a toaster. I've asked Ana to make a wish-list of items to replace all their possessions lost in the fire, and will update here when she does.

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My name is Karin and I'm reaching out with a plea for help on behalf of Ana Martinez, who on 12/10 experienced the unimaginable -- a devastating fire that left her family with nothing but the charred remnants of their San Lorenzo, CA home and a risk of becoming unhoused. No family should have to face this at any time, let alone right before Christmas.

Ana is a hardworking Salvadoran who helps clean my house. The fire (pics below) started on a Sunday afternoon. The family dog alerted her and they were able to escape -- but they lost their home of five years, everything they owned, and the sense of security and comfort we all need. Ana, her husband and daughters are temporarily sheltered in the living room of her nephew. They need to rebuild their lives and try to again find affordable housing in the East Bay. I helped connect them to their county supervisor's office who promised to facilitate Alameda County assistance, but what would help Ana most right now is funds to cover first/last month's rent for safe and stable new housing plus initial costs associated with getting their lives back, such as replacing belongings like furniture, kitchenware, and personal items lost in the fire.

This resilient family came to the United States seeking a better life. It breaks my heart to think of everything they left behind in El Salvador and now to have lost everything here. I hope with your help we can show the generous spirit of community and neighborliness. No donation is too small, and every contribution makes a meaningful difference in helping the Martinez family rebuild and move forward.

I will be hand-delivering these funds directly to Ana in late Dec/early January so that she and her family are able to act quickly to secure a new rental when they find something. I am also collecting donations of household and personal items and hope to update this GoFundMe with a more detailed list of what they need. (Check back soon.)

Please also consider sharing this campaign within your circles to maximize its reach and show the Martinez family that they are not alone in their journey towards recovery. Thank you for being willing to help weave a safety net for a family going through a truly difficult time.

With gratitude,

Karin (for the Martinez Family)