From MS 839 Principal Michael Perlberg:

Last week a devastating fire ripped through Bushwick and directly impacted a member of the MS 839 community.

To help, click HERE.

Lynnette Alvarez, who has been working as a student activities coordinator at MS 839 since February, and her family of 6, lost all of their belonging in a few short hours. Some of her family members fled without shoes or coats to escape the fire. Included in the family are younger siblings aged 4,13, and 21.

We are grateful the family was physically unharmed, but the financial impacts are devastating. They lost a rent controlled apartment in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood with little to no affordable housing remaining. They were provided with one night in a hotel by the Red Cross, but are now being told they must enter the shelter system in order to have a chance at any access to affordable housing in the future.

Lynnette is an amazing young lady who Lauren and I had the pleasure of teaching while we worked at The Bushwick School for Social Justice. When she is not organizing games and helping your children with homework during breakfast and lunch, she is about to become the first member of her family to graduate from college. Lynnette is in her final semester at Hunter College completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Planning.

A Gofundme page has been set up to help the family. Please support Lynnette and her family as generously as you can.