Firefighters give a demonstration during a ceremony for the new San Jose Fire Training Center on Senter Road in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, March 28, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
A San Jose family that “lost everything” in a weekend fire that put a teenage boy in the hospital with second-degree burns is seeing support from people in the community.
The online fundraiser has seen significant support from community members, nearing its $15,000 goal within three days. Its success comes from the impact that Cynthia Colmenares — the mother of the affected family — has made in her community, according to organizer Yazmin Hernandez, a close friend and former colleague of Colmenares.
“It speaks volumes to the kind of person she is,” Hernandez said.
Colmenares volunteers as an advocate with the Sí Se Puede Collective, where she has joined voter information initiatives and aided in COVID-19 prevention and education programs, Hernandez said. She also works with Veggielution, a local community farm, and currently serves as a community health worker with Stanford Medicine.
Colmenares also frequently leads community programs and promotions in the East Side of San Jose, Hernandez said. “She’s very big in the community.”
The fire — first reported at 2:44 p.m. Saturday on the 2400 block of Clyda Drive — rendered the home a “total loss” and damaged a backyard shed and fence of a nearby residence.
Colmenares’ teenage son suffered second-degree burns and was taken to a hospital. An update on his condition was not available Tuesday.
The fire spared neighboring homes, though PG&E estimated that around 22 customers temporarily lost power. San Jose firefighters brought the fire under control in around an hour. The department has not yet determined a cause for the fire.
The fundraiser aims to provide Colmenares and her three children enough funds to replace clothing and essential belongings, secure temporary housing and “get back on their feet.”
“They couldn’t save absolutely anything,” Hernandez said. “All of their school supplies were burned. They were ready to go back to school this week.”
“They lost everything,” she added.
Originally published at Tom Li