Selden family’s home destroyed by fire; neighbors step in to help

Nectarios and Gisele Mastres’ family home in Selden was destroyed Saturday by a fire that stripped them of everything but their lives.

But as the couple and their three children — Christopher, Sera and Alex — begin to rebuild their lives from scratch, they are receiving a wave of support from their community.

A GoFundMe campaign created to help the family replace essentials, secure new housing, and cover other urgent needs has raised over $22,000 via 317 donations as of Tuesday afternoon.

“While we are beyond grateful that everyone is safe, they are now faced with the overwhelming task of starting over from nothing,” wrote Kristanna Bauer, who established the fundraising page. “We as a community need to help this poor family with this difficult time.”

Clothing too, in specific sizes, is also being accepted to support the family’s immediate needs.

Christopher, the eldest of the four siblings, is headed to college at SUNY Cortland later this month. Sera is a student at Newfield High School and Alex attends Selden Middle School.

_{Top photo: The Mastres’ three children (inset via Facebook) and an image of the Aug. 9 fire in Selden (GoFundMe).}