Help Dave & Irene Rebuild




This week, our parents, Dave and Irene, lost everything to the Paradise Camp Fire. 

The entire town has suffered at the hands of this devastating fire, forcing most people to flee with only the clothes on their back. My parents were not exempt. Even amidst the chaos, they banded together on behalf of others. Dave, a school bus driver for Paradise School District, immediately acted loading his bus full of children to drive for hours through smoke and flames as he helped the community to evacuate. Eventually, he too had to rely on the kindness of others, being forced to flee his empty bus as the fires caught up to him. Their love for others is endless and they give whatever they have to those who need it. I would love to return the same love and generosity to them. My parents were not able to take anything with them. This fund will help provide them housinf & necessities (e.g., toiletries, basic clothing) to look after themselves for the next few months.

One of the most memorable stories that captures the kindness of my parents occurred when I was fifteen. I came home and told them that my 15 year old best friend, Arlene, was losing the place she had to live. She had recently moved to America to escape violence in Indonesia and was staying with distant relatives. However, those relatives were no longer able to provide a place for her. My Mom and Dave came back to me that night and without hesitation said, “She can come here.” A few years later, my family officially went through the process to adopt Arlene was she was 17 years old. This is just one of the countless stories of my parents opening up their home to those who were in need.

They've always been the kind of people my friends have gone to over the years when they were struggling or had nowhere to go: single mamas, older couples, a local man who needed work and a roof over his head. Paradise is where our family has built memories and lifelong connections to so many other families. Every holiday they actively seek out people who have no place to go and invite them to join us for dinner. They are also new grandparents with more grandbabies on the way. 

Thank you for anything you can give. Please comment to get in touch with me more directly if you would rather donate a different way.

 Link to their Amazon wishlist (Here's the link as well: http://a.co/3E1JwJO)
(Items will be shipped to a family friend who has generously offered to store and transport the items to Dave & Irene) 

Read more about Dave’s commitment to keeping students safe during the evacuation here .

Read more about the Camp Fire here .


Dave's abandoned bus


Photo from Dave's evacuation



Dave & Irene at the house with their first grandbaby

Dave & Irene with their daughter Allison, and son-in-law Colin, at the house this summer.

Dave & Irene with Arlene at her baby shower celebrating being grandparents again (Arlene is due in December!)

Some of my Mom's favorite succulents/cacti from her garden. She loved to use heirlooms she got from her Mom (who passed away) so she could remember her when she walked through the garden.


UPDATE: GoFundMe has requested we provide some additional information for all of our (amazing!) donors: 

Who is raising the money for this campaign? What are our relationships to Dave & Irene?

o   I (Allison) am one of Dave & Irene’s daughters. I am helping coordinate this fundraiser. I recently moved to South Carolina for a job. Prior to that I was living in California.

o    In addition, April Jones (located in Los Angeles, California) has graciously donated her time and energy into the coordination of this campaign. She is a family friend.

o  Lastly, Cyndi in Sacramento is a family friend who has stepped up to help provide additional support. She is accepting physical donations (e.g., Amazon wishlist items) and keeping them safely at her place.  She is transporting them to Irene as they arrive. 


Provide clarification on how the funds will be received & spent

o   The funds will only be withdrawn by Irene/Dave. They are planning to use these funds for replacing essential items lost in the fire, their house payment, & loss of income (Dave’s employment with the school district has been impacted by the fires, and its future is uncertain at this time because of the amount of damage to Paradise/the schools)