SAN ANTONIO — A family on the south side is picking up the pieces after losing everything in a house fire. As they looked through the ashes for the pieces of their lives, they found a community offering a helping hand.
“All of our stuff is gone,” Roxanne de La Garza’s voice shook as she looked over what used to be the room she shared with her two kids.
For eight and a half years, Roxanne de La Garza has called the front apartment at 118 Lubbock Street her home.
"This is all my kids know," De La Garza. "You know, they grew up here."
She and her two kids shared the apartment with one other person. She says because she learned of the fire while she was taking shower, she had to leave without even the clothes on her back.
when I opened the door, there was already fire like flames coming through there and smoke. And that's when I grabbed my son and my purse and my phone and we ran out and I just had nothing but a towel on,” “Thank God for the neighbors. They gave me a robe and some clothes and stuff.”
Neighbors, faculty and church members have trickled in to lend a hand where they could.
"Jasmine wears size three and Johnny, he wears size one," she told her kids school counselor over the phone.
Last Chance Ministries’ Pastor Jimmy Robles took to Facebook Live on Friday night to ask his congregation to lend a hand with clothes and money for a hotel room for Roxanne and her kids.
“Coming out of the house, there’s really nothing left here,” Robles told his viewers over the stream.
Roxanne says she's thankful to have survived the fire along with her kids, her cats and all the other residents, but it doesn't make starting over easy
“I know it's just material stuff, but there's, you know, memories and sentimental value stuff and it’s all gone in the blink of an eye. It's all gone.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family with expenses.