A big surprise for a Manatee County family going through tough times.

On Thursday, Rebecca Roberts and her three children thought they were attending a special assembly at Southeast High School in Bradenton.

Roberts, is a single mother to Jazzmen, 17; Jamez, 14 and RJ, 4.

The group thought they were there to support Jazzmen, who is a junior at the school.

However, to their shock, they learned everyone was there to help them.

At the school, friends, family and community members surprised them with household items, clothes, a television, money, and more.

“I'm filled with lots of joy and I'm very overwhelmed,” said Roberts. “This has been very hard. You never realize how much you have until you have nothing."

In February, the family lost everything they owned when their home burned to the ground.

Roberts said she has been trying to rebuild their lives ever since, but it’s been difficult.

“Every weekend I’ve been collecting donations from anybody that had anything,” said Roberts. “I didn’t care what they had, I was just taking it.”

They thought they were doing this alone.

But, they weren’t.

Without the family’s knowledge, students, staff and teachers at Southeast were working with a traveling philanthropist, Travis Jerome, to help collect items for them.

"I'm blessed to have what I have and do what I do,” said Jerome. “I want to push those blessings on to other people."

Jerome is part of a documentary called "Trav Wanderlost.”

He’s taking part in a 10,000 mile road trip in an effort to help families in need. The tour started January 1st in Minneapolis and finished up in Florida.

For the past few weeks, he’s been working with those who know Roberts and her children, collecting items to donate to them.

"I didn't think that many people cared about the situation that happened to us,” said Jazzmen. 

The family said they are still looking for a new place to live.

They’re currently staying with family members and hope to find a new home soon.