On Tuesday, our house burned down.

I (Dia) was home alone with our 14-month-old puppy, Malcolm, when the fire started. My life partner, Luvaire, was at a going-away poker night in Loganville. My brother, Darin, was at work at a DHL warehouse in Gwinnett.

Our neighbors were the true first responders. Before anything else, they gave me shoes, jackets, blankets, and sheltered me and Malcolm from the rain. Because of them—and because The Dekalb County Fire Dept arrived quickly—we’re grateful to say this: 100% of the people and furry baby occupants are safe.

The fire caught in the attic/ceiling area, and the insulation trapped the heat high above the structure. Even though the DeKalb Fire Department arrived quickly, it was likely already too late by the time the flames were visible.

What survived is minimal: a few stray items in the garage and my passport. Other than that, we lost nearly everything and are starting from scratch.

We moved to Stone Mountain about 3 years ago because it made sense for our family—Luvaire is a nurse at a nearby hospital, my mother has lived in Stone Mountain since around 2015, and we found an amazing community here. This week, that community showed up for us in real time.

The American Red Cross provided a life-saving stipend that allowed us to pick up a few basics from our neighborhood Walmart in Lithonia. Right now, we’re safe in a pet-friendly hotel in Conyers, and Darin was back at work the day after the fire. Both Luvaire and I are being given flexibility at work as we navigate what comes next.

The good news: just before the fire, Luvaire entered into contract on a home being sold to us by our neighbor in Hidden Hills, Ms. LaTanya Andrews. The home is perfect for us and move-in ready with standard kitchen appliances. We’ll still need a washer/dryer and a few repairs before moving in—and Ms. Andrews has already notified the former owner of our situation, which should expedite our ability to move into the home or to begin moving items into the home.

We’re raising $5,000 so we have breathing room and flexibility—and so we don’t get pressured into bad deals while we rebuild our lives.

Home is the safety of knowing our community, that you, have our backs💙

We’re using funds for immediate, practical needs, including:

• Emergency hotel accommodations (while we wait on reimbursement from renter’s insurance)

• Replacing 3 adult wardrobes (work clothes, shoes, coats, essentials)

• Basic household restart: bed(s), linens, towels, cleaning supplies

• Furniture (at minimum: seating and sleeping essentials)

• Kitchen basics: pots, pans, cooking tools, small appliances

• Unexpected costs that come with recovering from a total loss