MERIDIAN - Shani Cardinali has been living in a tiny one-bedroom apartment with her daughters since the devastating house fire that caused the family to lose all of their possessions.

The single mother of three young girls did not have insurance on her home that was destroyed in a March 13 blaze.

With the support of family and friends, Cardinali will soon be back on her feet.

More than 20 gift baskets filled with everything from camping gear to house plants were raffled off at a benefit for the family at the Meridian Fire House Sunday.

Proceeds will help offset the costs that the family has incurred.

"It has been tough," Cardinali said. "But what can we do, we have to move on. I have to keep going for my daughters."

A dinner of baked ziti, tossed salad and bread were among the generous donations to the benefit, along with refreshments and all the paper products.

All of the gift baskets were donated by the generous co-workers of Cardinali's mother, Pat Baran, a registered nurse in the operating room at Auburn Memorial Hospital.

"Flyers were passed around the hospital soon after the fire," Baran said. "The gift baskets were donated by almost every department in the hospital."

"It was really nice of the people to do all of this for us, I didn't think that so many people would give so much," added Cardinali's 11-year-old daughter, Victoria.

The family has been living in a one-bedroom apartment in Weedsport since the fire, but they are actively looking for a place in Cato.

"We really want to be able to move back to Cato," Cardinali said. "That is where the girls are attending school. I have to get up every morning and drive them to school. Hopefully, we will find a place soon."

The family's pets, a 12-year-old black lab named Bella, and their cat, Prince, also died in the blaze.

"I lost my cat," said 9-year-old Julia. "I really miss him."

"I really don't know how to thank everyone for their generosity," Cardinali said. "No words can ever say just how grateful I am for all of their support."