As Philadelphia and the Fairmount community continue to grapple in the aftermath of the tragic early morning fire that took the lives of 12 — including 8 children — last week, relief efforts are pouring in to support.

A partnership between the School District of Philadelphia, City Council President Darrell Clarke and Mayor Jim Kenney’s office has led to the launch of the Family Support Fund to ensure funds go directly towards supporting the families affected by the tragic fire. 

Amy Perez, yoga instructor and founder of Philly Jawns Love Yoga, will be playing her part in helping out.

“This tragedy is one that has impacted children, schools, families, our city as a whole,” said Perez. “I reached out to the Family Support Fund as I saw they were taking donations. They were kind enough to break down their efforts and how I could be of support.”

As a result, she decided to reach out to local spaces, venues and influencers from the city to collaborate with her organization to provide free, donation-based yoga classes.

Beginning this week, Perez will be hosting three upcoming yoga events in which all donations will go directly to the Family Support Fund and be distributed to the families.

“These families could use all of our support,” said Perez. “As a mother, educator and community advocate, I found it was necessary for me to stand up and support in any way I could.” 

The first of the three events will take place Wednesday, Jan. 12 at 6 p.m. at Warehouse on Watts, a grassroots event space just off the North Broad Street Corridor.

The second event will take place Saturday, Jan. 15 at 12 p.m. at Thinker Makers Society, a black-owned art gallery in Old City. 

The third and final event is next Monday, Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. at WoW Studio Events, a Black-owned venue operated by women.

People can sign up for the yoga classes here. 

When Perez thinks about the reality of the tragic fire, it brings her to think about an overarching concern across the city: the need for more affordable housing.

According to reports, 26 people lived in the building — a duplex with 18 people living in one unit and 8 living in the other. 

“26 people living in one city-owned row house is just unreal. This is a major wake up call about the living conditions in our city," said Perez.

“There are many rental homes like this one that are not up to code nor are they safe for families and children to live in. This seems like pure negligence and if things were different, these families would not be suffering such a devastating loss,” she continued. 

To donate to the Family Support Fund, click here.