NORTH PORT, Fla., -- A family of seven came back to find their home burned down to the ground due to an electrical issue that sparked a fire. Now, their friends, family and neighbors are stepping in to help them restore what they lost.
“To see everything you’ve worked so hard for gone, just nothing left," said Valerie Moody, mother of five.
Moody says her family was in North Carolina burying her father when they heard the news.
“We had just buried my father on Sunday," she said. "And then we got a call from North Port Fire on Monday that our [home] had burned completely to the ground."
Her neighbor, Karen Phillips, woke up around 2 a.m. that day and saw the flames take over the Moody's home.
“We were scared that they were in the house... thinking that seven people could have been lost," said Phillips.
She and other neighbors have gathered together to raise money and donate supplies to the family.
They have raised nearly $2,500, with many donating things such as clothes, shoes and water.
For Mrs. Moody, she says she's just happy to still have her family around.
“I’m just lucky to be alive, I’m just lucky to be here.”
If you are someone you know would be interested in helping the Moody family, you can visit their Go Fund Me page.
