How You Can Help Fire Victims Tonight

Imagine walking out of your apartment or house one day, leaving all of your valuables, keepsakes and clothes behind, only to return to next to nothing.

The displaced multiple families and destroyed many of their possessions. One such family is the Perezes, a family of six: mom, dad, a second-grade girl and three boys - a high schooler, an eighth-grader and a fifth-grader.

And the Whitnall family is stepping up to help their own.

At tonight's Open House from 6:30-7:30 p.m., Whitnall Youth Football and the Whitnall Middle School Student Council are co-sponsoring a collection drive in the school cafeteria.

Volunteers from both organizations will be on hand to collect donations for the Perezes, according to , a middle school math teacher and Student Council adviser.

Seavert said the Whitnall Middle School sent out an email blast to families asking those those who attend tonight's open house pitch in and lend a helping hand.

Seavert spoke with Mr. Perez on Saturday and was told the family's clothes, with persistent laundering, were salvageable but the family is in need of other items such as household goods, school supplies, furniture, and gift cards or cash for things like groceries, bedding and electronics.

It's important to note you don't have to have a student attending the middle school to stop by and make a donation. Just put yourself in the Perezes' shoes and think about how you'd feel if tomorrow, all of your prized possessions were gone. You'd feel pretty good if someone - even complete strangers - reached out and gave you a hand.

Editor's note: As of Monday afternoon, this is the only fundraiser/donation collection event know to Greenfield Patch. We will make every effort to pass along more information as it becomes available.