Bloomfield Mom Working 3 Jobs Loses Everything In Fire – Bloomfield, NJ Patch
BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The Essex County community is rallying for the victims of a devastating apartment building fire in Bloomfield last week, including a family that lost everything they own in the blaze.
In all, 10 families and two businesses reportedly found themselves without a home after the fire, which caused extensive damage at 73-75 Washington Street and minor injuries to a pair of emergency responders.
The fire is believed to be “accidental in nature,” authorities said.
Victims included Angela Rosado, an administrative assistant in the West Orange Public School District, who “lost everything” in the fire along with her two children.
A fundraiser for the family has raised more than $6,000 from over 100 donors as of Nov. 12. Learn more about the campaign or make a donation.
According to the GoFundMe campaign:
“For those of you who know her and those of you who never met her, [Angela] is a very strong, independent, single mother who has been through so much while raising her two children. She finally picked up the pieces and earned a beautiful, peaceful simple apartment for her to finally raise both her children working three jobs and studying to receive her bachelor’s degree to provide more for her kids and their future. On November 7, on her way to receiving her first award for completing several master courses provided through the NJEA, she received a phone call informing her that her apartment was on fire. She returned only to find that everything she worked so hard to have was gone, the children lost their pets, and the small world she worked so hard to create for her children fell apart.”
The campaign characterized the family matriarch as a “giver and a strong woman” who was raised to be humble.
“We all love her for always smiling even when things got bad and she came home tired and cried herself to sleep,” the campaign states. “She was always thankful for the little she had to raise two, beautiful, respectful and humble children. Her daughter Leyla is a sweet button whose heart is built with sunlight and honey, and her big brother Jeremiah, who has watched his mother work hard to make sure they had what they needed daily and still between tears remind him that we can all make our dreams come true.”
Additional fundraisers have been launched to aid the other victims of the fire.
On Monday, Nov. 11 and Wednesday, Nov. 13, Bucco Restaurant in Bloomfield will be donating 20 percent of its lunch and dinner guest checks to the families who lost their homes in the blaze.
Anthony’s Cheesecake Café – which is located next to the fire-razed building – also held a drive for monetary and gift card donations to aid the families. In addition, people can donate clothes to the families with children, the restaurant said. See needed ages and sizes here.
The restaurant offered an update on the situation Monday:
“We are still collecting gift cards and monetary donations Thursday to Sunday at our restaurant. All clothing can be dropped off at fire headquarters, 375 Franklin Street, Bloomfield, on Saturday, Nov. 16 and Sunday, Nov. 17 only.”
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