The holidays are coming early this year for a business owner after a fire destroyed his Schuylerville bodega earlier this month.

In the blink of an eye, the bodega on East Tremont Avenue burned down. But on Sunday, an act of kindness was the first step in bringing it back.

Odalis Rodriguez lost his livelihood on Nov. 2 when the fire destroyed El Tropical deli grocery.

The owner and father of two watched everything he worked so hard for disintegrate in front of his eyes, just a month before Thanksgiving.

It'd most certainly be a challenge for Rodriguez to feel thankful this year if it wasn't for the generosity of the United Bodegas of America. The organization made up of bodega owners launched a fundraiser to help Rodriguez rebuild his business. The UBA raised $35,000 and presented it to Rodriguez and his family via a check.

The UBA said the money is enough to start the rebuilding process, but more donations are needed.

Rodriguez came to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 1992 and worked various jobs before he opened his first bodega about five years ago.