GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Parents are mourning the loss of their 5 children, who died in an apartment fire over the weekend. As word of the deadly fire spread, the family has seen an outpouring of support from the community.
Neighbors brought flowers and stuffed animals to the burned apartment. Rankin Elementary, where some of the kids went to school, set up a GoFundMe page.
NC African Services Coalition is also pitching in. The resettlement organization has helped the refugee family since they moved to Greensboro in 2016 from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"They fled trauma and they came to America to rebuild and restart their lives. And that's what they were on track to do. But unfortunately they can no longer do it with their children," said Latosha Walker, the Operations Manager with the coalition.
Walker has also set up a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses.
"We are working on all of the funeral arrangements for the family. And we are making sure that in doing that, we are respecting their cultural practices and the things that are important to them," Walker said.
The parents are staying with family members in the same apartment complex. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.