JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville mother and her children, ages 10 and 6, lost their home at the Desert Winds apartment complex off Atlantic Boulevard to a fire started from a plug in an electrical outlet. Their apartment was immediately condemned.
Sequenya “Queen” Akins talked about how the situation made her feel while fighting back tears.
“I’m angry, mad, because I feel less of a mom,” Akins said. “I don’t have my kids a roof over their heads, I don’t have a decent place for my kids today, that’s what I’m supposed to do, provide for them.”
While the Red Cross provided initial emergency assistance with food and one night of temporary shelter, Akins and her children have been forced to sleep in their car since Wednesday. Akins said she has limited family support in the Jacksonville area and has serious health conditions.
Akins said she was hoping the complex would place her family in a vacant apartment.
News4JAX reached out to the complex to ask if they could provide any help for the Akins. We are still waiting to hear back.
How to Help
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to help Akins and her children secure stable housing and replace essential items lost in the fire. The family is in urgent need of:
- Temporary housing assistance
- Clothing for both children and the mother
- Basic necessities
- Food and supplies
Those wishing to help can donate through the family’s GoFundMe page: GoFundMe for Queen Akins’ Family
Multiple local organizations have been contacted for assistance, including United Way, City Rescue Mission, and various churches, but immediate help has been limited. The Red Cross has provided additional funds to their original assistance, and a friend has offered to help pay for five nights at a hotel.
“We lost the little that we had,” Akins said. “I’m so hurt, we lost everything,” she added.