Hi, I'm Noelya Patino.

On the morning of May 29th, 2025, my three friends and I lost everything in a devastating apartment fire at University Riverside Gardens here in Riverside, CA.

It started like any normal morning. I was making breakfast when I noticed the lights flickering and heard a loud noise above us. Moments later, sheriff's deputies were knocking on our window, urging us to evacuate immediately.

My friends Edbert Sanchez, Fatima Gonzalez, and David Kim, and I are all fourth-year students at UC Riverside. We are going to be graduating in just two weeks. What should've been the most exciting time of our lives has been turned upside down in an instant. We lost our clothes, our belongings, our documents, and the sense of security we had worked so hard for.

We were not the only ones affected. Many of our neighbors lost everything as well, and heartbreakingly, there were pets left behind.

We are currently staying with a friend who has opened their home to us, but we need help getting back on our feet, replacing essentials, covering temporary housing, and making it to our graduation.

Any donation, no matter how small, means the world to us. And if you can't donate, simply sharing this link could help so much. From the bottom of our hearts

Thank you.