Help Anna Rebuild Her Life After Palisades Fire

On January 7th, in the Palisades fire, I lost the place I call home—the hundred-year-old apartment, garden, and community that has been my sanctuary for my entire life, along with nearly everything inside its beautiful, old stucco walls.

This has been a place where we have had a dearly cherished little community of neighbors for years. Where I thankfully have many sweet memories of hearing my neighbor’s voice calling up to my window, of seeing my great-grandmother’s photos hanging in the hallway by the kitchen, of watching the mourning doves hopping about the garden in the afternoon sunlight. It was here where, with the feeling of the cold, clay terra cotta tiles underneath my bare feet and the scent of eucalyptus wafting in, I felt a gentle peace with my place in the world even when times were hard.

I know that the Palisades conjures up visions of wealth, but not everyone who lived here was wealthy or a celebrity. We were renters; my grandmother has rented this apartment for thirty years as of this year. This has always been my home and place of refuge in hard times, and sadly, it was already exceptionally hard to get by when the fires hit.

Anything at all that you are able to donate would be immensely appreciated. This amount does not nearly cover what is truly needed at the moment, yet, it will very thankfully begin to help with bills, medication refills, vitamins, toiletries, cleaning supplies, clothes, groceries, and the recovery process for the first couple of months ahead. I've tried my best to express myself here, and I do hope my emotion and gratitude come through these words to you.

Wind in my Hair, I was there, I was there…

Down the stairs, I was there, I was there…

Sacred prayer, I was there, I was there…

It was rare, you remember it all to well.