ALTAMONTE SPRINGS | Uriah Frisby heard a loud bang and people screaming outside. It was 1 a.m. He opened his front door to find the next-door apartment in flames and spreading fast. His neighbors were screaming the name of a young boy trapped within.

“I ran inside, quickly got dressed, woke up my daughter and got her out of there,” he recalled. “We left with nothing but the clothes we had on us. It was scary. Within a few minutes, my apartment was completely in flames.”

Amid the flurry of fire trucks and ambulance sirens, he recalled, “Everyone was flustered from what was going on. I tried to keep my daughter away from that situation as much as possible.”

The fire ultimately took the life of an 11-year-old boy. Although he’ll never forget April 3, 2024, reflecting on that day six months later, Frisby recognized he has much to be grateful for, despite discovering his canceled renter’s insurance left him with nothing.

“Sitting back and realizing the place I’d built from the ground up for four years was gone, hurt deeply,” he acknowledged. “I’m a single parent. It was four years down the drain. All I could do was sit on the curb and stare. Everything that I worked hard for and accomplished on my own was lost. All I could do was process the loss.”

They had no food, clothes, or home. As he sat on the curb the next day, he realized the family cat, Peppa, was missing. After a final sweep of the apartment, he found her under the couch, miraculously unscathed.

Almost immediately, the community offered the families help. Adrian Hodge, director of Catholic Charities of Central Florida family stability programs, learned of the fire from the news and reached out to Frisby via Facebook and the television station. Frisby, still stunned by the event, had never heard of Catholic Charities and wasn’t sure if they were for real. But he called Hodge, who gave him hope.

“It was a great feeling there was someone there to help a family in need,” Frisby said.

Catholic Charities found a townhouse for the family and helped them build a new life.

“Adrian went with me to get furniture,” Frisby said. “He didn’t just leave me alone. He was there throughout the whole way. I’m forever grateful for Catholic Charities reaching out to me. I really appreciate it because I felt so alone.”

His daughter doesn’t remember a lot about the April evening, but said she loves their new home. “My new room is bigger,” Elliana said. “I have a princess bed and a princess dresser and a mirror.”

She’s happy to still be in the same school with her friends and Frisby is pleased with how she’s adjusting.

“The way I see it, sometimes you have to get rid of the old to start new,” he said. “Everything happens for a reason. There’s nothing you can change about it. But good came out of this situation. I feel happy and more comfortable, back to our old selves.”

Looking ahead Frisby sees “greatness and success” in their future. He looks forward to the small things like helping his daughter with her multiplication tables.

“Catholic Charities is definitely a beacon of hope for a family in need,” Frisby said. “For people going through a lot of stuff, a traumatic situation, Catholic Charities is like a friend. They’re like a family member who reaches out to you and extends the helping hand and gets you through the hard times.”

Explaining their mission and commitment, Catholic Charities of Central Florida President Deacon Gary Tester said, “We are compelled by the call of Jesus to love our neighbor. In this situation, Adrian Hodge was watching the news coverage and heard the inner call to reach out. We were blessed to address this family’s crisis with support from Catholic Charities USA. Responding to tragedies like this is simply an extension of what our incredible team members do day in and day out. The importance of Jesus’ command in Matthew 25, as St. Teresa of Calcutta described on her five fingers is, ‘You did it to me.’ We are humbled to serve Uriah’s family.”

By Glenda Meekins of the Florida Catholic staff, October 24, 2024