Pocono News Section

Community Helps Coolbaugh Twp. Fire Victims

Community Helps Coolbaugh Twp. Fire Victims - Monday, January 12, 2009 at 4:20PM EST

Reported by: Laurie Monteforte
Monday, Jan 12, 2009 @ 04:20pm EST
TOBYHANNA - The community is coming together to help a family who lost everything in a fire, including a father. Idris Cox died during a fire in his Coolbaugh Township home last Wednesday. He leaves behind a wife and four children. Now the school the children attend is collecting donations to help them.

Subhana Rahim finds hope and love in jars of peanut butter and cans of beans. A fire stole Subhana's home and husband last Wednesday. Now the community is helping her and her four children.

Dozens of people have dropped off donations for them at the Pocono Mountain Charter School in Tobyhanna. "At the charter school all the kids really are one like brothers and sisters in many ways," said Pastor Dennis Bloom of the Charter School.

Eyewitness News joined Subhana as she and her sisters picked up the donations. From clothes to toys and all sorts of necessities, donations for the family started to come in within hours of the news of the fire.

"I was just surrounded with a circle of love," said Subhana.

She is thankful for the gifts but wishes someone could bring back the most important thing, her husband, Idris Cox.

The couple met as Toddlers. The first time Idris asked Subhana to marry him she was 12 years old. He asked three more times before she said yes and they started a family.

"Idris was a man's man. He took care of his family and his family came first," said his wife. Idris proved his dedication with his last breath. He ran back into his burning home to save one of his children. Subhana said, "He's my here and I honor his memory and his legacy."

She says her hero would be grateful for the community support from the clothes and the toys down to the smallest can of beans. You can drop off donations at the Pocono Mountain Charter School during regular business hours. The family needs children's items for a 17-year-old boy, a 10-year-old girl, a 6-year-old girl, and a 5-year-old boy.