All they had left was ashes: A family loses everything just before Christmas

Friday, Jan. 15, 2016

DRAPER — A Dec. 15 fire left 10 family members with only the clothes on their backs and a trailer home reduced to ashes. 

The Rodriguez family are St. John the Baptist parishioners; their children are students at the two St. John the Baptist schools. All 10 members of the extended family lived in the trailer house. No one was home at the time of the fire, which was caused by an electric spark. 

“It was a total loss; the trouble was that the house had no insurance,” said Patricia Brenneisen, who teaches Spanish at St. John the Baptist Elementary School. 

The family members, who now are staying in the two-bedroom basement of a relative’s house, are working to find a permanent home as well as dealing with cleaning up after the fire.

“The city is charging us to remove the remains, but first they also have to run some tests because the ashes might be harmful to the air,” said Fatima Rodriguez.

The cost of removing the debris is around $6,500.

“So besides having lost everything, they have now to face this cost,” said Brenneisen.

The Rodriguezes also have to continue renting the space on which the now-burned trailer house sits.

A community effort by teachers, parishioners and community members is raising donations for the family.

“We as Catholics are always looking to help with nothing in return; as good Christians we want to help when we see a family that needs help,” Brenneisen said. “We need to help them [the Rodriguezes] find peace, get back their lives and know  and be accepted in this community. This community loves them and is worried for them and most of all for their children.”

“For my mother this has been a big shock. We lost everything. It might not have been a lot, but it was all that we had,” said Rodriguez, adding that the family is very grateful with what they have received. “We are really impressed at how the school and the community has supported us and welcomed us.”

Rodriguez is certain that this has been the biggest challenge yet faced by her family, but she knows something good will come of it.

“Since we arrived here [in the United States] we have just dedicated ourselves to working hard,” she said. “We all know in our hearts that something good is coming.” 

A Go-fund-me account has been set to help the Rodriguez family at https://www.gofundme.com/rodriguez1234.