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Yorktown family displaced by fire celebrates Christmas in donated apartment

Posted at 7:51 AM, Dec 25, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-25 07:51:27-05

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - This Christmas, Lisa Young and her family have a new home for the holidays.

They're celebrating in a three-bedroom apartment in Newport News donated to them shortly after losing their Yorktown home to a fire late last week.

"We're just glad to have a roof over our head. I'm thankful, very thankful for that," said Young.

It's just one way family and friends have come through in the last week.

Gas stations, schools and several businesses collected donations for Young, who lost all her clothes, old pictures and Christmas presents to the fire. In all Young and her family -- including her two young daughters -- had nothing.

"Here we're going to need boxes and boxes to get the clothes there so much. We gotten food donated we've had a million gift cards to different places," she said.

The family has the apartment through March, giving them time to find a more permanent living situation.

"Even the gentleman with this apartment has a house right across the street from my house that he said will be going up for rent at the end of February so that's an option," said Young.

And even though she never expected to spend Christmas anywhere but her longtime home, Lisa Young says home is truly where the heart is. Her message -- Thank you.

"I feel like when I see that it's so small compared to what people have done for us but I don't know what else to say but thank you," she said.

As for what caused her home to burn, Young says she still hasn't gotten an answer.