Help with relocation costs after apartment fire

Hi, my name is Sam, and my apartment burned down on Valentine's Day. I woke up at around 6:00am to the smell of smoke and at least 6 missed calls. I opened the door of my bedroom closet and saw flames. I immediately tried to find my cat, Fiddle, but I couldn't find her. Firefighters came pounding on my door forcing me to evacuate without her so I grabbed my phone and a jacket and went outside, where I was checked out by a paramedic for smoke inhalation. I didn't even have time to grab my glasses. My friend Emma, who works at the Panera across the street, saw the fire and immediately ran out to help me - I was so panicked about Fiddle that I probably wouldn't have gotten myself checked out by the paramedic if it hadn't been for her. It became a two-alarm fire (I tried not to look, the flames must have been at least 20 feet high and I've never seen this many fire trucks in one place), but was contained fairly quickly, at least at first.

I stood out in the parking lot in the cold for nearly 3 hours, inconsolably panicking about Fiddle, in just my pajamas, slippers, and a jacket before a firefighter went up to my apartment with me (I lived on the 3rd floor) to see if they could find Fiddle. At least 2 other people were also allowed in to search for their fur babies, and I later found out that all pets made it out okay. The firefighters said I had only 5 minutes, but I quickly found Fiddle (hiding in the bathroom cabinet under the sink), grabbed some medications and was made to leave again. I immediately took Fiddle to the vet - she had to be put on oxygen for about 90 minutes but is doing fine now.

Shortly after that, the firefighters found hotspots they had missed and had to spend more time putting those out. In order to do this, they had to rip additional holes in my walls and ceiling. From what I could find on the news, the fire started on the porch of an apartment on the 2nd floor, then spread upward to the apartment next to mine (directly on the other side of my bedroom wall) and then took hold in the attic. It's unclear yet as to the exact cause of the fire.

I, and the ~40 other displaced people have been staying in the DoubleTree Hotel while we find new places to live. The apartment building has been condemned. They at least let me go back in to get my car out of my garage. I do have renters insurance, and the Red Cross has been amazing helping with things such as basic toiletries, meals, some cash, etc.

I was amused by the looks I got on Wednesday evening when I went to Target in my pjs, slippers, and my leather jacket, smelling of smoke, face puffed up from crying about Fiddle, to buy some underwear, socks, a pair of sweatpants, t-shirts, toothpaste, etc. I obviously didn't go to work for the rest of the week, and ultimately for the entire next week as well as I've been navigating all the stressful moving tasks (along with coping with my own post-traumatic stress).

I have found a new apartment in a different complex owned by the same people, and was able to move in on Tuesday 2/20. Moving in went relatively smoothly on Tuesday since I really didn't have much of anything to move. I was allowed back into my old apartment a couple times, with two friends and a maintenance person, for brief appointments to take videos and photos of damage for my insurance company, and to grab anything I could that was salvageable. My bedroom and walk-in closet are completely gone (the ceiling/roof is currently *on* my bed), but I was able to get my violin, ukulele, and guitar, and some kitchen things and small personal items that were farther away from the fire. Although not everything went up in flames, there is significant water and smoke damage to everything I once owned. I've been able to go back in for a couple other 15-30min time slots, but staying up there for any longer than that exacerbates my asthma. I was unable to hire movers to help me retrieve heavier potentially-salvageable items, because no moving company will send people to a condemned building.

I'm learning the hard way that renter's insurance only goes so far, especially when I have lengthy hotel stays. Plus it won't cover vet bills, and I love Fiddle more than anything in the world. She has asthma, just like me.

I am raising funds to help me cover moving costs, hotel stays while I find a new apartment, vet bills, replacing my belongings that were destroyed in the fire, therapy, and in general trying to re-establish my life.

Thank you so much in advance. I'd also like to give a special shoutout to my friend Emma, who literally ran toward a burning building to save my life. I might not be here today if it hadn't been for her.