It was supposed to be a normal Sunday evening in New Milford, Connecticut. The Super Bowl had just ended, the kids were in pajamas, and Natalia Gritman had spent the day prepping meals in the kitchen. But just as her family was winding down for the night, an unexpected sound in the walls changed everything.

“My other half heard something inside the wall—like something was falling,” Natalia recalled. “He went downstairs and saw embers. He ran back up and said, ‘I think we have a hole in our fireplace or something.’ Right around then, we heard banging on our front door.”

Natalia opened the door to find three teenage boys standing on her porch. “They said, ‘Your roof is on fire!’ I ran out, looked up, and sure enough, the roof was burning,” she said. “That’s when it all became real. We had to get out—fast.”

In just minutes, Natalia, her partner, and their children ran outside in pajamas and slippers. The smoke alarms hadn’t even had time to go off yet.

The same three boys who knocked on the door didn’t just walk away after raising the alarm. They stayed with the family throughout the ordeal, helping to hold their dogs and keep their young children calm.

“They offered to go inside and help, but we told them no—it was too dangerous,” Natalia said. “Instead, they stood outside with our kids and dogs, holding them, keeping them safe. Just their presence gave me peace of mind.”

Despite taking preparedness measures—important documents were stored in a ziplock bag in an easy-to-reach place—nothing could truly prepare Natalia for the helplessness of watching her home burn.

“You think you’ll never experience something like this. And then you do. It felt surreal,” she said. “My kids even asked when we could go home. I had to explain, ‘They’re not just cleaning it—it’s gone. It will take a long time.’”

In the midst of the chaos, another familiar face stepped forward—Red Cross volunteer and neighbor Arthur Hopkins.

Art didn’t hesitate. He welcomed the family into his home late that Sunday night, knowing they had nowhere to go. His wife brewed warm tea, offering a moment of calm amid the overwhelming uncertainty. Noticing that Natalia was still in her slippers in the cold, Art handed her a pair of fresh socks—a seemingly small act, but one that carried profound comfort for her in that moment.

“It meant so much,” Natalia recalled. “Everything was happening so fast, and I didn’t even realize how cold I was. That small kindness—it just hit me. We were cared for.”

Art didn’t just provide shelter; he also guided the family through the Red Cross intake process to apply for immediate financial assistance, ensuring they could quickly access essential support during a critical moment.

Thanks to the support of the Red Cross, Natalia’s family was able to afford basic necessities—clothing, food, and a hotel to stay in while they figured out their next steps.

The impact of that night—the way Art showed up, beyond expectations—left a lasting imprint on Natalia.

“After everything, we realized how much the Red Cross does to help people in crisis,” she said. “And Art…he didn’t just help. He cared. He saw us, not just as a family that needed assistance, but as people who were suddenly vulnerable and scared. That made all the difference.”

Weeks later, the town hosted an event to honor the three teenagers for their quick-thinking heroism—a moment of celebration for the power of community and kindness.

Reflecting on the experience, Natalia says the ordeal reinforced the importance of looking out for one another.

“I was surprised. I wouldn’t have expected that level of responsibility and compassion from teenagers,” she said. “They didn’t just tell us our roof was on fire. They stayed. They helped. They gave us time to breathe in chaos. I will never forget that.”

As the family begin the long road to recovery, one thing remains clear: the kindness of neighbors, volunteers, and strangers has made all the difference in their journey forward.