Houston family looks for help restoring 1950s home damaged by fire

A local woman is hoping to give her dad the ultimate father's day gift after her parents survived a devastating fire.

Built-in the 1950s by a black entrepreneur, one Trinity Gardens house was meant to be the start of a generational home.

“They had three kids. My mom was the youngest child,” says Crystal Robinson.

The family was raised in the Trinity Gardens house before it was handed down, and Joe Robinson and his wife grew their party of six there.

“Grandmothers and our cousins would come by. We’d have family dinners and everything at the house,” she adds.

Known throughout their neighborhood as “Mr. Joe,” her dad spent nearly 29 years working for the City of Houston in wastewater management.  

“My dad was always willing to help anybody- anybody that asked him for help,” adds Robinson.  

For father’s day, the family hopes some of that help will be returned.

The Robinson home burnt down in May. Neighbors helped get the elderly parents out safely, but with no insurance, they were left with nothing to rebuild. 

“I started to cry because we’re going to have to tear the house down and start over,” says Crystal.

It's where they would celebrate father’s day, but instead, her and her sister are making trips to clean out what's left of their family home, finding scraps of memories like a Navy photo of their oldest brother who died.

“This picture could have been completely gone. It just singed a little bit,” says sister JoAnn. “At least we got to keep that little piece because he's gone now.”

“Mr. Joe” says he doesn't want much this Father’s Day. “Something good to eat,” he laughs.

But his children have started a fundraiser to rebuild the house and make it handicap accessible for their disabled mom.

Although they've just started on the $150,000 goal, next father’s day they're hoping to host dad back at the family home.

CLICK HERE for more information on the family fundraiser.