Fundraiser underway for 2-year-old daughter of Bellingham man missing after Fairhaven fire

Alyse Smith
·4 min read

Since the tragic structure fire at the historic Terminal building in Fairhaven on Sunday, Dec. 17, the Bellingham community has stepped up to help those affected.

The investigation continues, and Nathaniel V. Breaux, 39, owner of Harris Avenue Cafe and The Old Independent Coffeehouse, was still considered missing as of Thursday afternoon.

A makeshift memorial began to form on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, outside of the historic Fairhaven Terminal Building that was destroyed by a fire on Sunday, Dec. 17, in Bellingham, Wash.
A makeshift memorial began to form on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, outside of the historic Fairhaven Terminal Building that was destroyed by a fire on Sunday, Dec. 17, in Bellingham, Wash.

Local businesses and community members have set up fundraisers and programs to help those affected by the fire, the cafe, coffeehouse and the neighboring business. The Dirty Dan Harris Steakhouse also has closed due to the fire.

A GoFundMe online fundraiser has been set up for Breaux’s 2-year-old daughter, Izabella, who is currently with her mother, Barbi Telek.

“Aside from the building being lost, Nate, the cafe’s owner and father of our child Izabella, is still missing,” Telek wrote on the fundraiser page. “His last known location was at the cafe working late into the night. We hope that he’s not within the debris of the fire, but as of right now I am deeply concerned for our little girl’s day-to-day life.”

“Nate, my mother, and I traded off caring for Izabella. Nate gave my mother a part-time job at Harris Ave Cafe so that she could earn a living and watch our daughter during the weekdays while Nate and I worked. Now that Nate is missing and the cafe is gone, my mother is suddenly, unexpectedly unemployed. … The last thing we want during this stressful, heartbreaking time is for Izabella to be put into a new and unfamiliar daycare environment,” Telek wrote.

“I am asking for your help to provide for Izabella as she’s just possibly lost her father. We hope to keep her with her family members who are familiar to her. These funds will go toward caring for my daughter’s basic needs, and they will be shared with my mother so she can provide childcare for Izabella during this chaotic time and still support herself. Anything helps! Thank you so much.”

A historic building in Fairhaven was destroyed by fire early Sunday.
A historic building in Fairhaven was destroyed by fire early Sunday.

As the Terminal Building also housed many small businesses and tenants with office space, Emerge Clinic Wellness and Psychedelics is offering free office space to those who worked in the building’s offices.

“We have eight soundproofed therapy offices that are empty right now, and we can house our colleagues immediately so that they have a soft place to land and regroup, and also perhaps keep offering them the continuity of their community during this difficult time,” Karen King, MS, LMHC and founder of the clinic wrote in an email to The Bellingham Herald.

The building, at 315 Lakeway Drive, has a private waiting area, a kitchen, parking and a secured access door.

“We also rent offices to the community of therapists and healers and happened to have this whole set of offices open right now so we thought why not help our fellow healers who need a place? It is the least we can do,” King wrote.

“I was a graduate student in Counseling doing Disaster Mental Health during Hurricane Katrina, and I learned that there is something invaluable and reassuring about consistency in a crisis, and so I hope that will be helpful for them as a group of providers and businesses going through a trauma,” King wrote.

Karen King can be reached at karen.king@emergeclinic.com.

Other online fundraisers, gift card collections and programs have been set up for those affected by the fire:

▪ Donate to a GoFundMe online fundraiser, that is raising money for employees of the Harris Avenue Cafe and The Old Independent Coffeehouse. The fundraiser has a goal of $70,000 and has raised $76,411 as of the afternoon of Dec. 20.

▪ A GoFundMe fundraiser has been started to help employees of the Dirty Dan Harris Steakhouse who cannot work due to the fire. The fundraiser has a goal of $7,500 and has raised $9,355 as of the afternoon of Dec. 20.

▪ The Fairhaven Association is collecting gift cards for those affected by the fire. The association recommends gift cards for grocery stores or other essential businesses, or VISA gift cards for $25. Gift cards can be dropped off at 1106 Harris Ave. inside Finnegan’s Alley from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 20, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 21, and 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 22.

▪ Ovn Wood Fired Pizza is offering free pizzas for those affected by the fire. Visit the restaurant or call 360-393-4327 to order. Ovn Wood Fired Pizza is at 1148 10th St. in Fairhaven.

▪ El Suenito Brewing Company is offering free meals to those affected by the fire. “If you have been directly impacted by the fire, you can use our free meal program. This gets you a free one tamale plate. Visit our taproom and just let our staff know you’re one of those affected by the fire and we will get you a meal on us. No questions asked,” the brewery posted on Facebook.