Families from the community have come together to support the family of freshman Ali Jaloway by donating over $30,000 to a GoFundMe account after losing her father.

Jaloway and her three siblings Rachael, Joey, and Samantha lost their father on Jan. 2 due to a construction accident at the Ford plant on Chicago’s south side.

A little after 11 a.m., John Jaloway was working on an eight-foot-by-eight-foot wall when it collapsed. His wife, Jennifer Jaloway, was informed over the phone at around 11:30 a.m but was not told any details.

“I tried to reassure her (Jennifer Jaloway) that possibly whoever had called wasn’t actually on the jobsite and they maybe didn’t know all the details, and that’s why he wasn’t telling her anything,” family friend Carleen Jany said.

Jennifer Jaloway knew it had to be bad because whenever John was injured on the job she was always informed of the severity right away.

“I heard and Joey knew something was wrong but we didn’t tell him and we sent him with Carleen (Jany) and went to the hospital,” freshman Ali Jaloway said.

Samantha Jaloway, 8, was already with Jany at the time.

“It’s been the most stressful and hard time of our life. If I could I’d tell him I love him and he worked so hard for our family. I really appreciate all of his hard work and love,” Ali Jaloway said.

The community has come together in more ways that than the Jaloway family could anticipate.

“Prayers, hugs, thoughts, meals, hugs, my driveway when it snows…, financially, everything. All of that has helped,” Jennifer Jaloway said.

With Jennifer Jaloway now having to take care of four children on her own she faces many struggles.

“John and I could conquer anything together. For the last 20 years… I whole heartedly believed we were in it to the end… this end,” Jennifer Jaloway said.

(Disclosure: Reporter Emily Wissemes is a Jaloway family friend. To read her personal thoughts about Jaloway, see her column.)