Help Nohelia & Leo’s Family After LA Firestorms

Dear Friends and Community,

I write this to you as our family is experiencing the challenges of evacuating our rental home due to the Eaton Fire.

On January 7th, our family evacuated our rental home due to the Eaton Fire that has impacted Pasadena and Altadena, including our neighborhood in Hastings Ranch. Our area experienced a mandatory evacuation.

Property in the Eaton Fire zone has been exposed to smoke and toxic ash containing dangerous levels of lead, arsenic, and asbestos. The home has been exposed to toxic ash and smoke residue from the fires. As renters, we do not own our home.

This situation has been surreal, deeply impacting our family's stability and sense of safety. Our children, Alfonso and Mateo, have been deeply impacted by this traumatic event and its ripple effects to their sense of safety and normalcy. As parents of neurodiverse children, we are mindful of our children’s unique needs and supports, which are magnified with the stresses from this disaster. Our youngest child, Mateo, is 10-years old and autistic - the loss of his predictable, safe home environment has been especially painful. As we fled our home the night of the fire, Mateo held my hand - asking “Are we going to die?”.

Your contributions will help us through this challenging time. We are seeking support to cover unexpected costs and get back on our feet. These funds will assist us with needs that might not be fully covered by other sources of aid. Your help will allow us to address the many aspects of recovery and support our family through crisis. We are raising funds to recover and support our family.

During this tragedy, I am continuing in my role as faculty and department chair of Life Sciences at East Los Angeles College. I have the pleasure of working with many of you in service to our students, faculty, staff, college, and district. Thank you for your consideration - your support means everything to our family.

We know that there are many people suffering immeasurable losses. Our family stands in love and unity with all of the individuals, families, and community members impacted by the devastation of these fires. We will get through this together.

With gratitude,

Nohelia & Leo