{"id":443257,"date":"2025-12-12T23:14:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T23:14:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/443257\/"},"modified":"2025-12-12T23:14:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T23:14:17","slug":"jacksonville-church-contractors-flooring-company-volunteers-step-up-to-help-family-left-homeless-after-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/443257\/","title":{"rendered":"Jacksonville church, contractors, flooring company, volunteers step up to help family left homeless after fire"},"content":{"rendered":"

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.<\/strong> \u2013 A local church and community members are working to renovate a house for a mother and her two young children who lost everything in an apartment fire last week<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sequenya, \u201cQueen,\u201d Akins and her children, who had been sleeping in their car following the fire, are currently staying in a mote<\/a>l while volunteers prepare their future home.<\/p>\n

Christ the Living Cornerstone Church graciously offered up the house for her family to live in rent free, which is now undergoing significant renovations with the help of local businesses and community members.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll we want to do is bless someone,\u201d said Pastor Key of Christ the Living Cornerstone Church. \u201cBecause at the end of the day, God is going to ask us, were we the one that picked that person up? Did we take care of them?\u201d<\/p>\n

The renovation project has attracted support from local businesses. Native Flooring<\/a> has committed to donating all necessary flooring materials, while Ray Stallings of Ray\u2019s Handyman Services<\/a> has volunteered to install the flooring at no cost, and even rebuild certain areas lacking flooring at all. Once the work is done, cleaning company, Top to Bottom Cleaning<\/a> will be fixing up the place for the family. On Monday, another local handyman, who has requested to remain anonymous, will also be repairing and restoring the steps outside of the home.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an honor for me,\u201d Ray Stallings said while taking measurements of the house.<\/p>\n

The small church\u2019s response stands in stark contrast to other local organizations, including one popular mega church in the Jacksonville area. While some organizations only provided shelter listings for News4Jax, Christ the Living Cornerstone Church took direct action by providing a home and organizing volunteers for the renovation work.<\/p>\n

Church members, volunteers, News4Jax photographer Chris Smith, and reporter Sophia Vitello are currently clearing out the house and organizing furniture that could be useful for Akins and her children. The family is expected to view potential furniture options that the church had stored in the home this Sunday.<\/p>\n

\u201cOut of the ash comes something beautiful,\u201d Pastor Key said during a prayer at the work site.<\/p>\n

Akins and her children, who have temporary accommodations in a motel through Wednesday, are anticipated to move into the home next week, pending completion of the flooring work that begins Monday.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n