Support Rodney & Sam in the aftermath of Eaton Fire

POSTING FOR MY BROTHER & SAM

We (Rodney, Sam, Sam’s daughter Asteria and cat Tallulah) were evacuated in a frenzy Tuesday night 1/7 just before 7:00 PM from our house on Kinneloa Mesa, less than a quarter mile from Eaton Canyon. There were violent flames surging across the mountainside just above our neighborhood as we sped off with what little clothing and essentials we could grab.

Sam and Asteria have lived in Altadena for 6 years and deeply cherish this precious community. We moved in to this house in Kinneloa Mesa on December 8th.

Since the mandatory evacuation we have bounced around staying with friends and family in the LA area, extremely thankful for those who have given us safe shelter. We are grateful to be out of harm’s way and know that, as of now, our house is still standing. Everyday we witness and hear stories of friends who have lost everything. Asteria’s school is gone. We are not able to return to our home and it is unclear when it will be safe to do so. Power, water and gas are shut off indefinitely and the house is contaminated with ash, soot and smoke that authorities have deemed toxic. With the continued windstorms and now the threat of mudslides from the slopes above the house, we are scared of what could happen next… and are struggling to figure out what we do next.

We have hesitated to ask for help. We know we are fortunate in so many ways to be safe in relatively good health and know and that many others are much worse off. We are coming to terms, however, with the fact that our future is very uncertain and our lack of income as a result of the displacement (we both work from home) has left our financial future in turmoil. Our daily expenses, bills, costs of travel, temporary accommodations, etc. are quickly adding up, not to mention the inevitable costs of remediation, clean up, repairs, replacing things and potential re-location. We have applied for FEMA aid and are trying to work with the policy holder of our renter’s insurance but there are complications and minimum coverage because we had only been at the property for less that a month. It is unclear what we will receive but it is clear it will not be much and it is going to take months (if not years) to get any funds that we need right away.

We deeply love this community that we have been so lucky to be a part of. We want to help others and give to those who are worse off but we must first take care of ourselves and find stability and safety that will allow us to return to some form of normalcy.

In order to do so… we need help.

NOTE: Any funds we receive will go toward “non-covered expenses” and any funds we do not need or use will be given back to members of the Altadena community whom we know are suffering.