Client Story: Sunny
Sunny, 31, had just moved to Kissimmee from Philadelphia three months before a fire destroyed his apartment at Blossom Park Villas.
He lived with his fiancé, Lianah, who was studying law in college. The couple had just bought new furniture and housewares for the new apartment.
Lianah’s father, Darren, had invited the couple over for dinner about an hour before the fire broke out on April 29, 2019 and decimated 18 apartment units.
“Had my future father-in-law not called, Lianah would have been home alone studying with her noise concealing headphones on and would not have heard the fire,” Sunny said, noting he was at work.
Sunny and Lianah lost everything. The couple moved in with Lianah’s father for several months until they could save enough money for a new place to live.
“If it wasn’t for Darren we would not have gotten back on our feet,” Sunny said. “We were living paycheck-to-paycheck. I have no savings yet.”
Single Moms of Central Florida, Inc., was on site at the apartment complex to assist fire victims with resources. The organization referred Sunny and other victims to The Mustard Seed of Central Florida for furniture assistance.
“I was broken. I was depressed. I lost everything,” Sunny said. “It was a period of darkness. I’m someone who moved to Florida and this happened.”
Sunny received everything he needed from The Mustard Seed to start over.
“This gave me hope,” Sunny said about receiving assistance. “I feel blessed, and I want to find a way to give back. A lot of people need help, and they just don’t know what to do. They’re afraid. For me, I’m traumatized by what happened.”