TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – A quick walk through the Godbees’ home and you can see everything is coated in ash and not much would be considered salvageable. The house and its belongings are deemed a total loss.
Amanda and Ben Godbee said donations started arriving within hours of the fire.
“Everybody came running. Everybody was here. They’ve given us literally everything,” said Ben Godbee.
The family of five has lived in this house on the 1700 block of Glastonberry Road, near Alexis and Jackman in Washington Township, for the past 10 years. The evening of Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, Ben said he came home and smelled smoke.
“And he opened up the garage door, and that’s when the smoke filled everything immediately,” described Amanda.
No one was hurt, but the Godbees and their three children, ages 10, 11, and 14, lost all of their possessions. The major setback happened one week before the kids were set to head back to class in the Washington Local School District.
“This is an awesome, awesome area. It’s an awesome neighborhood. These people, you know, they mean the world to us,” continued Amanda.
So far, the Godbees said neighbors have dropped off backpacks full of school supplies, and businesses have pitched in to help. All without the Godbees ever asking for assistance.
“It means a lot to us. They bring stuff. Whatever we need,” said Amanda. “Everybody’s helping tremendously.”
Now, the family is staying at a hotel courtesy of the American Red Cross and waiting for the insurance claim once investigators determine the cause of the fire. From there, they plan to rebuild and stay in the neighborhood that has given them so much.
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This article was published by WTVG on 2025-08-14 17:23:00
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