As the Fight for $15 movement continues to gain traction across the nation, one local activist leading the charge was devastated early Monday morning when his home caught fire.
Carlton Alexander was at in his Tampa home with his fiancé, her daughter and a 3-month-old infant when the blaze consumed most of the house.
“We were all in another room talking and we smelled smoke,” Alexander said. “It all happened in the blink of an eye. It was small and then it just got really big.”
Alexander said the fire got out of control when an old ac window unit caught fire and exploded. He attempted to put out the flames but had to get his family out of the home safely. The fire marshal, Alexander said, ruled the fire accidental.
The family lost everything in the blaze – furniture, clothing, even family memorabilia. Now fellow activists are joining forces to ensure Alexander and his family are able to get back on their feet.
The American Red Cross put the family in a motel for one week to give them time to figure out what to do next, but that time runs out in just a few days. Friends and supporters of the Fight for $15 movement began a Give forward page for Alexander hoping to raise enough money for a deposit on an apartment or home, utilities and replacing necessary household items.
Alexander works on minimum wage at a Taco Bell in Tampa. He recently participated in a national day of action in which workers across the country walked off the job in support of an increased minimum wage and right to form a union.
As a minimum-wage worker and part-time student, Alexander is representative of what happens to low-income families when tragedy strikes. For many middle-class workers, a house fire is devastating, but those individuals often have the means to recover.
Alexander lacks a financial safety net and doesn’t have family to turn to either. Minimum- and low-wage workers tend to live paycheck to paycheck. They have limited ability to save money for unforeseen circumstances and often lack viable credit to access in an emergency. That lack of credit also translates to increased deposits for things like water and electric.
While those engaged in the Fight for $15 are most concerned with getting Alexander and his family into a home, his tragedy also serves as a prime example of how terrifying poverty can be. As a minimum-wage worker, Alexander acknowledged in a radio interview this month that he was one paycheck away from catastrophe.
In this case, he was one catastrophe away from homelessness.
Alexander’s home was gifted in an estate after his uncle passed away about a year ago. Alexander said he hadn’t been able to afford homeowner’s insurance.
The fundraising site went live for Alexander and his family Thursday afternoon. As of 3:30 p.m. Thursday two people had contributed for a total of $30. The site does not have an established goal.
