Barely over a month removed from receiving news that her home was totally lost to a fire — an experience which rendered her speechless — Monique Adams seems to have found some beauty among the ashes.
On Friday, Adams was presented with a $3,066 check from funds raised through a GoFundMe account organized by the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) to assist with housing and other necessities for her family.
“It’s been hard because you still have to try to cope with your kids and make sure they’re ok…you can’t cry in front of them because it’ll make them cry, so you have to be strong at the same time, but besides that I’m grateful because we’re still here and it could’ve been a lot worse,” Adams said.
Her home was consumed by the blaze the night of Valentine’s Day and Greenville Fire Chief Ruben Brown reported that it took several minutes to bring the fire under control once units were on the scene.
Despite the responsibilities that come with working and managing a restaurant on top of having to re-establish a home setting, the mother of six and grandmother of a 1-month old said she has been in good spirits.
She highlighted her oldest daughter’s plans to get an early start on college this summer as she was accepted into the University of Southern Mississippi.
Along with the LOC, Ward 4 Councilwoman Lurann Thomas-Kingdom, who could not be present for the check presentation, extended her support and availability in helping Adams with the aftermath.
Even though Adams is a part of the Ward 4 community, Thomas-Kingdom asserted that her efforts were not so much that of a councilwoman, but as a family friend.
“I just wanted to make sure that we do all that we could in terms of trying to help her to regain structure in her life for herself and her children,” she said.
Mayor Errick Simmons said that he was overly impressed with how the Greenville community collectively came together to respond to the crisis, as it does when any of its members are hurting.
“And so the Local Organizing Committee, the Fire Department and the City and the whole community came together with a GoFundMe, and we are presenting today a check to Ms. Adams and her family of over $3,000 to help her out right now in this time of need,” Simmons announced.
Fire Chief Ruben Brown acknowledged Thomas-Kingdom in her absence and expressed his and the City’s gratitude for her.
“As the slogan says, it’s our family protecting your family and the citizens of Greenville, the City of Greenville, and Greenville Fire Department — we’re all family,” Brown said.
He also reminded attendees and viewers that in a personal disaster such as a home fire, lifelong belongings and personal mementos such as photographs and precious keepsakes are things that cannot be replaced.
Adams thanked the community and people who came from near and far to bless her and her children.
“In the midst of it all, we still were blessed because we walked away with our lives,” she said. “Everyone is getting along fine and we’re grateful.”
