Temporary lodging, clothing and other essentials are immediate concerns for a Cherry Hill family after a Monday-night fire destroyed its Darby Lane home. Neighbors are organizing support as the family looks for a place to stay. No injuries were reported.
The Cherry Hill Fire Department said the fire was brought under control at 6:42 p.m., according to Daily Voice. Firefighters reported no injuries and rescued two cats from the residence before the home was lost.
Neighbor Ashley Goldstein organized a fundraiser for Angie and Cary and their two children, Daily Voice reported. Goldstein described them as “a kind, hardworking family who have always been there for the people around them.”
Family Left Without Clothing or Basic Necessities
Goldstein said the family lost clothing and everyday necessities in the fire and is looking for a place to stay while considering how to rebuild, Daily Voice reported. The fundraiser is meant to help with those immediate needs.
The campaign will help pay for temporary lodging, replacement clothing and shoes, and other basic necessities, according to Daily Voice.
Other Recent Fires and Fundraisers in Cherry Hill
This is not the first time this year that a Cherry Hill family has turned to community fundraising after losing a home to fire. In March, the Wagner family lost their home and possessions in a house fire, and a fundraiser on their behalf had raised more than $48,000 by that Thursday, according to an earlier Daily Voice report.
In January, a fire displaced Bobby and Jen Ianni and their four children, ages 1 to 15, with no injuries reported. Patch’s account of the same fire said a fundraiser for the family had an $18,000 goal and had raised nearly $11,000 by the time it published its story. The Courier-Post reported that GoFundMe campaigns for the Ianni family had drawn more than $76,000.
Separately, a Jan. 31 fire destroyed a home on the 500 block of Main Street and claimed one life, according to FOX 29.
What official data says about residential fires
The available statistic provides statewide historical context, not a measure of how often residential fires occur in Cherry Hill today. According to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ Division of Fire Safety, 80 percent of reported structure fires statewide in 2014 involved residential properties: New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.
For now, Angie and Cary's family joins that list of Cherry Hill households starting over after losing a home to fire, with neighbors once again stepping in to help cover the basics while the family looks for stability.
