“He’s an Angel”: Mom Lost Everything in a Fire. Then a Stranger Saw Her Story and Stepped In to Help

August 25, 2026

When a Bronx mother lost nearly everything in a devastating apartment fire, she never expected a complete stranger watching her story on the news to step in and help her family get back on their feet.

Nina Chambers / Scott Evans / Credit: CBS News

In late June, Nina Chambers and her three children were forced out of their apartment after a fire in a neighboring building on East 160th Street left their home in shambles.

The 36-year-old mother was suddenly trying to care for her children while living in a hotel, struggling to afford food and prepare them for the upcoming school year. At one point, her bank account was even overdrawn as she worked to make sure her children had what they needed.

Chambers had already shared the heartbreaking reality of what happened.

“I saw everything that me and my children own gone. We lost everything,” she said.

Hundreds of miles away, Scott Evans happened to see her story on CBS local news.

He was a stranger to Chambers, but something about her situation made him feel like he could not simply watch and move on.

“This was something, one of the things that I could do something about,” Evans said.

So he decided to help.

Evans first went to TD Bank hoping to put money directly into Chambers' account, but the bank would not allow him to do so. Instead of giving up, he contacted the news station, which eventually connected him with Chambers.

The two have still never met in person.

But Evans gave Chambers $3,000 to help her buy food for her children and get them ready for school.

And he did not ask for anything in return.

“He didn't ask me for anything except, how can I help you?” Chambers said.

Eight weeks after the fire, Chambers' apartment was still in disarray. But the generosity of someone she had never even met had given her something she desperately needed: hope.

“It's priceless,” she said. “You don't meet people that do those type of things for nothing. It's rare.”

There was more good news ahead.

Chambers has since secured a new apartment and graduated from school with a degree in human services.

For her, Evans' generosity became about much more than the $3,000 he gave her. It showed her that even in one of the most difficult moments of her life, someone was willing to step forward simply because they could.

“Scott is an angel,” Chambers said. “Scott is one of those people, you don't know he's there until he shows you what he can do.”

Those words brought Evans to tears.

He explained that helping her was something he felt fortunate to be in a position to do.

“I'm blessed that I can do it. We have no mortgage. We have no car payments,” he said.

Chambers hopes she will eventually get the chance to meet the man who helped her family when they needed it most. And now that she is beginning to rebuild her life, she has her own goal: to pass that kindness on to someone else.

“He's been a blessing ever since,” she said. “I just want to get on my feet so I can pay it forward.”

Sometimes, a person does not need to know you to make a difference in your life. They just need to see that you need help and decide to be the person who steps forward.