Getty-Davis Eaton Fire Support Fund

Our house is still standing. We are so lucky — so many of our neighbors lost their homes, cars, and all of their possessions in the Eaton Fire, which leveled properties just around the block from us. It feels uncomfortable to ask for help given the extreme needs of so many people we love. But as it turns out, we need help.

Because of smoke damage we have been displaced from our house since much of Altadena and part of north Pasadena burned early Wednesday morning, and we are deep cleaning and gradually restoring our home and our street to a safe, livable condition. Charles is working remotely when he is able to, but Amanda’s freelance work and broader job search has had to be largely put on hold while we navigate the immediate aftermath of the disaster. Augusta’s school, along with the rest of Pasadena Unified School District, is closed for the foreseeable future.

As many of you know, Amanda has not worked very much since August, when she began taking much more active care of her parents. We (like so many) were struggling to make ends meet before the fire; now we are worried about staying current on our mortgage. We cannot help our neighbors rebuild if we lose our house. There are additional expenses related to smoke remediation, and others incurred simply because we haven’t been able to be at home, which are quickly depleting the tiny cushion of reserve funds we have.

We are so grateful for the outpouring of help we’ve received from our family and friends in neighboring communities. They have literally taken us in and fed us and cared for Augusta, and cleared brush from our home and wielded garden hoses Wednesday morning in the smoke as house fires burned all around us, and now they are washing our laundry and helping us wipe soot off our belongings. We wouldn’t be okay right now if it weren’t for them.

Any money received here in addition to what we need to sustain our family will be donated to others in our immediate community suffering from the Eaton Fire. There are so many who need it, and there will be so much work to do for a very long time. We pledge that not a cent will go to waste.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.