Xochilt & Spencer Lost Home in Oregon Fire
Donation protected
I've known Xochilt Diaz since the day she was born. Her life-partner, SpencerBryson, and she, have lived on the McKenzie Highway for 3 years.
Early this week, they had to flee their home--the land Spencer's father had lived on and worked since 1996, and who had left it to them when he died less than a year ago. They've lived there and were building a home there for the past 3 years. On the day after Labor Day, instead of starting her online (due to Covid) kindergarten class, instead of gathering eggs in the beautiful new chicken mansion Spencer and she had just spent the summer building, the fire came. They didn't even get the first two Level alerts, the "Get Ready", or the "Get Set" missed them somehow--So, the first thing they got was that blast of discordant notes from the phone, at a Level THREE "Go NOW!" telling them to not wait to get anything together, but to leave immediately because the flames were upon them. So, they fled, with their animals, through land that was already in some cases burning, down the McKenzie Highway, past fire crews, to the evacuation center at Thurston High School.
I know these two would give the shirts off their backs to help others--and have done so before. Now, they need your help.
Photos of Just a Few Days Before:
On Labor Day, their home was green and lush, and full of promise of the coming school year. On Labor Day, they were posting photos of their new chicken house and the handmade and decorated seed packets of seeds from their garden harvest.
This is what it looked like on September 1st.
Photos of After: All is now in ashes.
These are the next view they have had of their home--they might not even be able to access it for many days still, as the road up there is still extremely treacherous, even once the still-burning fires are out.
Trees will regenerate. Houses can be rebuilt. Insurance can pay for a new house--but all that goes with their home will not be replaced by insurance.
They will need new clothes, furniture, kitchen supplies, tools, a replacement tractor and other large equipment for working the land, things for their animals and gardens, replacements for some of their art and photos and instruments, and a fund for whatever else can't even be thought of right now.
Can you please help restore this sweet couple's home?
Here is their story:
First, let me tell you a little about Xochilt. Her mama and I have known one another since we were introduced by our mutual midwife--we happened to live three houses down from one another, and were pregnant at the same time. Anne, Xochilt's mama, was at my home helping me take care of Delta, my baby, who was born the last week of July, and I was at Anne's home, helping the day after Xochilt was born three weeks later.
Xochilt and Delta were raised together, close friends since they were infants rolling on the floor, going to the same preschool, in the same classes at Magnet Arts from kindergarten, the Village School for their middle school years, and going to the same high school. Our families camped together, carpooled together, and Xochilt and Delta grew up running back and forth between our houses. When they were toddlers, they could communicate the way twins do, before either of them had any words they would get into mischief--we called them "Thing One and Thing Two". There was never an important event--a birthday or a graduation--in our family, that hasn't included Xochilt.
Xochilt Is a kind, funny, warm, giving person. Always. She dreamed of being a teacher, graduating early from high school and going straight to college, where she quickly got her degree in Education and her teacher's license in Oregon. She has been teaching Kindergarten in Blue River, Oregon, and only last week, was talking about how she was both looking forward to having classes begin again, and thinking about how to make an online experience for her kiddos feel good, given that they were beginning their first year of grade school in a pandemic.
This is what she posted in late August, as she returned to her classroom to begin getting ready for Fall:
"Back to work today. I am so full of feels. I just want everyone to know that we teachers do it for the love and that doesn't change regardless of how we are asked to deliver instruction, be it online or in person. I love being a teacher, and will do it however I have too, because children are important and knowledge is power. I know that online instruction is not ideal for kindergarten, how could it be? I mean we all know this is not best practice. But today, I walked into my classroom and saw every book, bookshelf, bean bag chair, carpet, and toy gone. I saw only 16 desk in neat rows spaced 6ft apart and felt my heart split in two. We didn't choose this, no one did. Nothing about any of this is alright, and we know this. We also value the lives of our students and families, and that is at the forefront of all the decisions we get to make. I just wish everyone understood that we know it's hard for you, it's hard for us too, but we are are in this together and we will do what it takes to do our jobs "
When Xochilt learned that the town of Blue River had burned, her first thought was for her school. She learned that it was saved, and posted this--before talking about her own home.
If you know Xochilt, you know that if you could, you would choose her for your 5 year old's teacher. I know I would love for her to be my sweet granddaughter's teacher!
Being a wonderful teacher for that first year of grade school--THAT is a special kind of superhero!!
And Spencer:
I don't know Spencer all that well, because they got together after Xochilt was in college. But I DO see him sometimes, and he is kind, warm, and funny. He is clearly dedicated to his life with Xochilt.
He grew up learning to work that land that they have now had to flee, He loves it.
I have seen him at family gatherings and at Oregon Country Fair, and I know him to be trustworthy, hard working and absolutely devoted to living up to the responsibilities he has taken on.
Caring for and stewarding the land and the animals is also a special kind of Superhero!
Here is what Xochilt said to me:
"That property was purchased back in 1996 by Spencer's dad, who worked hard on it until his dying day less then a year a ago. His dad wanted nothing more then to leave it for us to raise our own family and pass it on our children. The last 3 years we have worked the land tirelessly to make it a home. We live in a 2017 Manufactured home and we're working up to building our dream house there in the next few years. We don't know what's next for us, but we desperately want to be back home in the community we live and work in. So many of our friends are in the same position. Our hearts ache for our community."
This is the video of what the fires looked like shortly after they evacuated. The driveway that is on fire on the road across from the covered bridge is Xochilt and Spencer's driveway. That was the first thing they saw of their property--as everyone else was celebrating that the historic covered bridge was saved, THEY were getting the news of their home on fire.
Video of Holiday Farm fire
While they did not initially want to ask, Xochilt and Spencer are going to need help restoring their lives and their home.
Winter is Coming!
Will you please donate? Any amount, when added to contributions of others, adds up.
(And please, leave them a note with your donation, to help lift their spirits.)
With Deep Thanks and Blessings
-Fiora
Early this week, they had to flee their home--the land Spencer's father had lived on and worked since 1996, and who had left it to them when he died less than a year ago. They've lived there and were building a home there for the past 3 years. On the day after Labor Day, instead of starting her online (due to Covid) kindergarten class, instead of gathering eggs in the beautiful new chicken mansion Spencer and she had just spent the summer building, the fire came. They didn't even get the first two Level alerts, the "Get Ready", or the "Get Set" missed them somehow--So, the first thing they got was that blast of discordant notes from the phone, at a Level THREE "Go NOW!" telling them to not wait to get anything together, but to leave immediately because the flames were upon them. So, they fled, with their animals, through land that was already in some cases burning, down the McKenzie Highway, past fire crews, to the evacuation center at Thurston High School.
I know these two would give the shirts off their backs to help others--and have done so before. Now, they need your help.
Photos of Just a Few Days Before:
On Labor Day, their home was green and lush, and full of promise of the coming school year. On Labor Day, they were posting photos of their new chicken house and the handmade and decorated seed packets of seeds from their garden harvest.
This is what it looked like on September 1st.
Photos of After: All is now in ashes.
These are the next view they have had of their home--they might not even be able to access it for many days still, as the road up there is still extremely treacherous, even once the still-burning fires are out.
Trees will regenerate. Houses can be rebuilt. Insurance can pay for a new house--but all that goes with their home will not be replaced by insurance.
They will need new clothes, furniture, kitchen supplies, tools, a replacement tractor and other large equipment for working the land, things for their animals and gardens, replacements for some of their art and photos and instruments, and a fund for whatever else can't even be thought of right now.
Can you please help restore this sweet couple's home?
Here is their story:
First, let me tell you a little about Xochilt. Her mama and I have known one another since we were introduced by our mutual midwife--we happened to live three houses down from one another, and were pregnant at the same time. Anne, Xochilt's mama, was at my home helping me take care of Delta, my baby, who was born the last week of July, and I was at Anne's home, helping the day after Xochilt was born three weeks later.
Xochilt and Delta were raised together, close friends since they were infants rolling on the floor, going to the same preschool, in the same classes at Magnet Arts from kindergarten, the Village School for their middle school years, and going to the same high school. Our families camped together, carpooled together, and Xochilt and Delta grew up running back and forth between our houses. When they were toddlers, they could communicate the way twins do, before either of them had any words they would get into mischief--we called them "Thing One and Thing Two". There was never an important event--a birthday or a graduation--in our family, that hasn't included Xochilt.
Xochilt Is a kind, funny, warm, giving person. Always. She dreamed of being a teacher, graduating early from high school and going straight to college, where she quickly got her degree in Education and her teacher's license in Oregon. She has been teaching Kindergarten in Blue River, Oregon, and only last week, was talking about how she was both looking forward to having classes begin again, and thinking about how to make an online experience for her kiddos feel good, given that they were beginning their first year of grade school in a pandemic.
This is what she posted in late August, as she returned to her classroom to begin getting ready for Fall:
"Back to work today. I am so full of feels. I just want everyone to know that we teachers do it for the love and that doesn't change regardless of how we are asked to deliver instruction, be it online or in person. I love being a teacher, and will do it however I have too, because children are important and knowledge is power. I know that online instruction is not ideal for kindergarten, how could it be? I mean we all know this is not best practice. But today, I walked into my classroom and saw every book, bookshelf, bean bag chair, carpet, and toy gone. I saw only 16 desk in neat rows spaced 6ft apart and felt my heart split in two. We didn't choose this, no one did. Nothing about any of this is alright, and we know this. We also value the lives of our students and families, and that is at the forefront of all the decisions we get to make. I just wish everyone understood that we know it's hard for you, it's hard for us too, but we are are in this together and we will do what it takes to do our jobs "
When Xochilt learned that the town of Blue River had burned, her first thought was for her school. She learned that it was saved, and posted this--before talking about her own home.
If you know Xochilt, you know that if you could, you would choose her for your 5 year old's teacher. I know I would love for her to be my sweet granddaughter's teacher!
Being a wonderful teacher for that first year of grade school--THAT is a special kind of superhero!!
And Spencer:
I don't know Spencer all that well, because they got together after Xochilt was in college. But I DO see him sometimes, and he is kind, warm, and funny. He is clearly dedicated to his life with Xochilt.
He grew up learning to work that land that they have now had to flee, He loves it.
I have seen him at family gatherings and at Oregon Country Fair, and I know him to be trustworthy, hard working and absolutely devoted to living up to the responsibilities he has taken on.
Caring for and stewarding the land and the animals is also a special kind of Superhero!
Here is what Xochilt said to me:
"That property was purchased back in 1996 by Spencer's dad, who worked hard on it until his dying day less then a year a ago. His dad wanted nothing more then to leave it for us to raise our own family and pass it on our children. The last 3 years we have worked the land tirelessly to make it a home. We live in a 2017 Manufactured home and we're working up to building our dream house there in the next few years. We don't know what's next for us, but we desperately want to be back home in the community we live and work in. So many of our friends are in the same position. Our hearts ache for our community."
This is the video of what the fires looked like shortly after they evacuated. The driveway that is on fire on the road across from the covered bridge is Xochilt and Spencer's driveway. That was the first thing they saw of their property--as everyone else was celebrating that the historic covered bridge was saved, THEY were getting the news of their home on fire.
Video of Holiday Farm fire
While they did not initially want to ask, Xochilt and Spencer are going to need help restoring their lives and their home.
Winter is Coming!
Will you please donate? Any amount, when added to contributions of others, adds up.
(And please, leave them a note with your donation, to help lift their spirits.)
With Deep Thanks and Blessings
-Fiora
Organizer
Fiora Starchild-Wolf
Organizer
Eugene, OR