CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — One Ingleside family known for helping others, now has to rely on the generosity of the community to survive.
Ingleside resident Jose Alvarado is one of the many people who has helped the Hernandez family get back on their feet.
“You could see flames coming out of the garage,” Alvarado said about the fire.
He said he received a call early Sunday morning and someone told him that something was wrong.
“At that time, I woke up, I came over here and unfortunately, it was the ones that I knew, Alvarado said. "When I showed up, I couldn’t believe it, everything was gone.”
The community has come together to help turn the Hernandez family’s sorrow, into a gift of hope..
“I showed up here to the house and all I could see was ashes and then when I saw all four vehicles gone (…) It’s like ground zero for them. It was real (really) tough for me to see that,” Alvarado said.
Alvarado is a friend of the family and a former football coach to Brandon Hernandez, who attends Ingleside High School.
His father is a United States Navy veteran, who is now homeless because of this fire.
Alvarado believed that it was his mission to give back to the family that supports everyone in their neighborhood.
“They’ve always been there for everybody," he said. "Like I said, we’ve grown up; they’ve always been there for me."
“During Hurricane Harvey, they came over and gave us a lot of stuff to help us out," Alvarado added. "They offered me to stay over at their house whenever they got electricity back and I think it’s just time to help them.”.
Through it all, the community is hoping to provide the family with a bright spot to make the burden of rebuilding a little easier to bare.
Alvarado organized a barbecue fundraiser and clothing drive for the family.
Several organizations pitched in to assist the family, including Little I’s, along with other volunteers from the area.
The benefit will be held Saturday, Feb. 24 at Elite Fitness at 2650 S. Main St. in Ingleside, starting at 11 a.m. until they sell out.
All funds will go toward helping the family rebuild.
Jose Alvarado “I think as a community not just myself we came together for them, and I know they are appreciative for everything the community is doing," Alvarado said.
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