A New Jersey family who lost their home and two dogs in a Christmas Eve fire is seeing an outpour of support from their community.
Army veteran Randy Mojica, who lost his home, served two tours in Iraq and considered his home a symbol of hard work for his children.
So many of you have already done so much for the Mojica family but it is apparent that they have a long road ahead & we will all continue to support them in every way we can until they are back on their feet.#OneMetuchen
— Mayor Jonathan M. Busch (@mayorbusch) December 26, 2020
Heartbreaking Christmas Eve Tragedy
Mojica said, “We honestly did this just through saving, working hard, and trying to show the kids that you could do this if you really work hard.”
Mr.Mojica and his wife, Cielo had only bought their home less than two years ago.
“Everything just seemed to fall in place at that time because my wife and I just got married and after we got married, we got the house,” Mojica told Fox News.
He and and his wife had only lived in apartments prior.
“First home bought and owned,” Mojica said. “It was the happiest day of my life.”
Their home caught fire at about 8:20 PM on Christmas Eve. Thankfully the family, including their children, ages 5, 6, 11, and 17, were elsewhere at a holiday party.
When Mojica grabbed his phone to take a picture of his family he saw many missed calls. That is when he found out about the fire.
“I feel like my brain just exploded, or something. I couldn’t think at that at the time,” Mojica said, describing how the events unfolded that night.
Mojica said his family is more heartbroken about losing their two dogs than their house.
“They were really the highlight of the life of the house,” Mojica said. “You know dogs. They’re always happy. They always bring life to the house.”
Community Rallies For The Mojica Family
For now, the family is staying with relatives – but the community is giving them their full support.
Fox News reported on Sunday, “In the days since the blaze, the Mojicas have received an outpouring of support. Metuchen has begun aggregating different ways people can help through ItTakesABorough.com.”
“The Fuccile Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping local families affected by tragedies, has raised nearly $84,000,” Fox News reported.
“And Mojica’s brother, Manuel Rodriguez, has setup a GoFundMe page that has raised more than $43,000 — surpassing it original $35,000 goal.”
“On Christmas Day, Mojica’s neighbors brought over gifts for the children,” the report noted.
Over the last 24 hours, so many have asked how they can help the Mojica family who lost so much in their house fire on Christmas Eve. Fortunately, they are staying with relatives now.
— Mayor Jonathan M. Busch (@mayorbusch) December 26, 2020
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‘I Feel Like We’re Not Alone In This’
Mojica deeply appreciates the kind support of his neighbors.
“I’ve never seen a community like this in my life,” Mojica said. “I was just telling my wife, ‘This is unbelievable. I feel like we’re not alone in this.”
“I feel like there are people trying to reach out to us and helping us,” he added.
“Even though 2020 was such a bad year, this is a good example to show that there’s always love and hope,” Mojica said.
“This is all about companionship, we have to be there for each other no matter what,” he added.