Mary Lamar GoFundMe raises over $20,000 following Cleveland native’s harrowing CBS interview detailing struggles

The GoFundMe community has again joined hands to support a woman named Mary Lamar. As of this writing, the GoFundMe page has raised $21,366 (against a goal of $24,000) with over 130 donors. 

The Ohio woman had launched a fundraising campaign seeking assistance after her Euclid, Cuyahoga County, house burned down last month. On the GoFundMe page, Mary Lamar reflected upon the hardships she has been through, as she wrote: 

“Over the past few years, life has thrown a series of challenges my way - each one more difficult than the last. However, I've always found a way to rise above, even when it seemed impossible.” 

Lamar shared about losing her home in a devastating fire in July and added: 

“This was not just the loss of a place where I lived, but the loss of everything I worked for, everything I had built.” 

Mary also faced another tragedy after losing her partner in the fire. She claimed: 

“My partner of 18 years was also taken from me in the fire, leaving me with nothing but the painful memories.”

Lamar also shared her story of redemption, from being incarcerated to finding a full-time job. The 56-year-old wrote about being able to “save enough money to purchase” her house. However, after the fire incident in July, Mary was hospitalized. While she is recovering from physical and emotional trauma, Mary wrote on her GoFundMe page: 

“I’m reaching out for help in this challenging time, asking for any assistance to aid in my recovery process. The road ahead will be long, but I’m determined to rebuild once more.” 

Mary Lamar’s fundraiser saw an upsurge in donations after her recent interview with CBS News

Here’s how Magnet, an Ohio nonprofit, is helping unemployed and underemployed adults fill open manufacturing jobs. pic.twitter.com/np5ao6AzHh

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) August 11, 2025

The recent episode of Eye on America featured a story about the Ohio-based nonprofit organization, Magnet, that is focused on manufacturing growth. CBS News’ presentation also included a conversation with Mary Lamar, who talked about her current job as a supervisor of a team of machinists at Talan Products. 

The outlet revealed that Magnet helped the Ohio woman bring her life back on track after she was incarcerated for three and a half years. Mary Lamar, who became a first-time home owner, also shared some advice for the viewers: 

“Be open, be fearless, take a chance, be honest. You can be successful at any stage of your life. I'm proof.” 

Euclid fire working a house fire on E239. EFD said there are victims here and that they transported one. Hear from a witness that helped a woman who jumped from the second floor all morning on @WEWS. @KosichJohn on scene gathering more. pic.twitter.com/hpX42TSce3

— Mike Vielhaber (@MVielhaber) July 7, 2025

CBS News reported that the interview was shot before Lamar lost her partner and her house to fire. The outlet also confirmed that Talan Products and Magnet helped the 56-year-old set up her GoFundMe, which has seemingly seen a surge in donations following the Eye on America broadcast. 

For those unaware, a fire incident was reported in early July at an East 239th Street residence in Euclid. According to News 5 Cleveland WEWS, a witness helped a woman escape, while another victim died inside the house.