Ventnor Comes Together to Help Family Displaced by Fire
Last Saturday's fire on the 5200 block of Ventnor Avenue in Ventnor has gotten considerable attention for its impact on the original Sack O' Subs store and U-Mango, the fruit smoothies shop next door.
U-Mango's part of the building was demolished during the firefight, and, as of Wednesday, the store was marked as "permanently closed".
But three families were also displaced by the blaze and the Ventnor business community has come together to help one of them who lost everything.
The three members of the Sanchez-Montes family -- a husband, wife, and daughter -- are the focus of a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to help them afford the basics that they lost in Saturday's fire.
According to the GoFundMe article, the family left everything behind as they evacuated, including clothing, cell phones, identification, work tools, and money.
As is the case in such circumstances, the Sanchez-Montes family received a one-time package of emergency assistance from the American Red Cross. They have also been fortunate to have been given some assistance by neighbors and friends that will help them maintain for a short time.
The family is staying in a short-term hotel while they try to get their bearings, but they will need additional help to make it through this tough time.
That's where Emily Christian of the Ventnor Business Association and the El Pueblo Unido NJ Nonprofit Organization come in.
The GoFundMe has been created to help the family establish the funds to put up a deposit and pay rent on a new apartment and buy essential items like mattresses, groceries, phones, and more.
The goal of the GoFundMe campaign is $10,000. As of Wednesday morning, generous folks in the Ventnor community have contributed over $5000.
All the money raised will be used by the Sanchez-Montes family to get back on their feet again. If you would like to help, a link to the GoFundMe is attached below.