GoFundMe Made For Pepe Family Who Lost Home, Pets To Weekend Fire

NORTH BRANFORD, CT — The family business is closed Tuesday as they come to grips with the loss of their home and two of their beloved pets to a weekend fire.

Cindy Pepe and her daughter Samantha own Good Vibes Nutrition, a Foxon Road smoothie and juice bar that opened in 2020.

Saturday, they were holding a fundraiser at their shop for another family when they got a phone call that “no family ever wants to receive.”

A fire broke out, consuming the home where Cindy, her son Tyler Stanko and her parents, Ernie and Elaine Pepe live.

Ernie Pepe is a renowned former Milford football coach.

As described in a Facebook post by Samantha, "In a matter of seven minutes, we lost all belongings, childhood memories, and worst of all, the lives of two of our beloved pets.”

She wrote that firefighters were valiant in their efforts to locate and rescue the pets, but were ultimately unsuccessful.

“Of all the wishes I have, I so badly wish that I had gotten there sooner. For those of you who know us know, our pets are members of our family; the firefighters did their absolute best to find them," she wrote.

"I wish I could fix the look on my grandmother's face when we were allowed back inside, or members of our family that blame themselves for what was really just a horrific accident," the post reads. "I am deeply heartbroken, but my mom & I are both also so grateful for all of the amazing, kind, & wonderful humans - whether they be friends or strangers, that came to our aid when we needed help. That kindness meant more than you'll ever know.”

Samantha wrote that the family is “filled with gratitude” for the lives saved, “my brother, grandparents, dog Tessa & cat Willow.”

“It takes seven minutes to change everything, but thank God they are still here,” she wrote announcing that Good Vibes would be closed Monday and Tuesday, “As we take a few days to process and recover.”

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe was created by Kathy Loewenberg to help support the family as they have “suffered an immeasurable loss.”

“All the family escaped but the family lost their beloved cat and a bird, decades of memories, memoirs, art project, pictures; a lifetime of stuff,” Loewenberg wrote, adding that “Tyler lost everything and most of the rest of the house is gone as well.”

In just a day, the appeal has raised more than $9,000.

“Cindy is the first to help out when someone needs it,” Loewenberg wrote. “The family has gone through a very stressful few years and then this. Their road hasn’t been easy, and yet they continue to spread light to anyone who knows them. It’s their turn to receive.”

The GoFundMehopes to raise enough to “help them rebuild.”

“While money can not bring back all that they have lost, it can help with what they need now and lessen the stress of replacing what they can,” Loewenberg wrote.

Another North Branford business, Second Time Around, which "upcycles pallets into one of a kind pieces for any style or decor," will donate half of all proceeds from its Dec. 13 online auction to the family.

GoFundMe is a Patch partner.