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Valderes “Val” Toulouzan-Vaporakis and her twin boys are physically OK. So are their cat and three dogs – one of whom was rescued from the fire and another who was found following an intense search.
Firefighters prevented Tuesday's smoky blaze from causing major structural damage to the Sanford Avenue home.
"As it turns out, their house was underinsured, making things even more difficult for them," said friend Lisa Leuck. "There are many repairs to be done and the smoke damage is extensive destroying most, if not all, of their personal belongings."
Leuck is among those in the community who've rallied to their aid. She established a GoFundMe campaign: Please Help Valderes Rebuild Her Home
“My family and I cannot express the absolute gratitude we have for our community,” Val Vaporakis posted in response on Facebook.
“We literally would like to thank each and every fireman that helped with our house fire and saving our home,” she said. “Our gratitude to every police officer that helped and assisted with information and their efforts in any way possible.”
She also sent a shout out to “every single person who was out there looking for our Apollo” (and there were many, responders said). “A deep heart felt thank you from the boys, myself and our puppies for being incredible human beings and neighbors! Very fortunate and blessed to live and share this town with you all!”
It was on May 23, 2020 that Hristos “Chris” Vaporakis died. It was a blow not just to loved ones but to the community that he’d served for several years.
Then came Tuesday’s fire, which broke out in the family kitchen around 4:30 p.m.
Firefighters from Paramus, Oradell and Westwood were among the mutual aid responders who assisted their Emerson colleagues in limiting the loss to mostly smoke damage. There was some serious fire damage, as well, responders said.
The Vaporakises are now being assisted by borough officials, neighbors and friends.
“While Val is in the process of figuring things out with their insurance company, they need to secure some basic essentials right now to replace what was damaged in the fire to get them thru this time (clothes, etc),” Leuck wrote.
Donations via Venmo can be sent directly to @Valderes-Toulouzan-Vaporakis (last four cell digits: 3793).
There's also the GoFundMe page. You can donate here: Please Help Valderes Rebuild Her Home
Monetary donations can also be made at the borough administrator’s office at Borough Hall – Visa, MasterCard or American Express only, no cash. The building (146 Linwood Avenue) is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Any financial assistance “would be much appreciated so they can purchase what they need to cover their immediate needs,” Leuck said.
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