Kirk's Community Rallies After Fire

Lake Shrine devotee Kirk Scully's place of employment burned down in the Palisades fire. He didn't think his modest needs were worth doing a GoFundMe for since so many others lost so much more, but his community urged him to do one so he could tangibly feel the love and support of his cherished spiritual family. All the funds collected will be deposited directly from GoFundMe into Kirk's bank account so he can bridge the gap between jobs.

Here is Kirk's story in his own words:

On the morning of the fire, Tuesday, January 7, I was scheduled to go to work at 2:00pm at Rocco's Cucina, an Italian restaurant and pizzeria that was right next to the Waldorf school below Lake Shrine. I saw the smoke when the fire broke out around 10:30am and called my boss around 11:00. She investigated the situation and decided to close the restaurant. As the fire spread and progressed, my father, who I was living with in Topanga Canyon, decided to evacuate that night. I decided to stay because of my cat. I told my father that if the fire continued to spread that I would leave in the morning and not put my life in danger.

When I awoke the next morning, my chest hurt from all of the smoke, and fire had moved over the ridge. I knew then that I needed to get out of there. I left the sprinkler on the roof, grabbed the cat, and said a prayer before I left, not knowing whether our house would be there in the aftermath. I stayed with a family of devotees on Wednesday night.

On Thursday afternoon, the Kenneth fire broke out in Old Agoura near Oak Park where I was staying and we had to evacuate once again. From there I stayed in my dad’s office for a few nights with the cat until I was invited back to Oak Park after the all clear. I am still here, waiting to return to Topanga, which is scheduled to reopen to residents on Thursday.

Through this devastating experience, I have newfound peace and comfort in my daily meditation and prayer practices. I feel that this is the most important thing to me right now. I feel grateful for the support of my father, Mark Scully, and for his leading by example as a Kriyaban and SRF volunteer.

Because of my work experience at Rocco's Cucina, I had wanted to volunteer in the kitchen at Lake Shrine. When I approached the leaders of the Friendship Tea team, I was welcomed with open arms to this family of loving volunteer devotees. It was this act of volunteering and becoming involved in the Temple community that was the next step in my SRF journey. I was honored when a few months later I was asked to volunteer to help in the Lake Shrine kitchen during Convocation. This was an incredible experience. Seeing the international pilgrims and their first impressions of Lake Shrine's vibrations reminded me of my first time there and how I felt. I diligently continue to hold onto those feelings and appreciate the Lake Shrine's sacred grounds.

I’m also active with the Young Adult group and recently submitted my application for Kriya, about one week before the fire broke out, on December 30. I have booked a 3-day retreat at Hidden Valley Ashram at the end of the month so that I may process everything that has happened.

The amount of love, support, and care I have received from the SRF community has helped mend my broken heart, and given me strength in these difficult times. I am one of the lucky ones in that I did not lose my residence or my possessions in the fire, only my job. I’m in need of a modest amount of funds for bills and food until I can find another job. Any support you can offer is welcomed and appreciated beyond words.