Rebuilding after the Eaton Canyon Fire

On Tuesday, January 7th myself, Richard, and our son Leo evacuated from our beloved home in Altadena. On Wednesday January 8th we drove back to find our house completely razed by fire. We are emotionally flattened and just as devastated. Our son came home from the hospital to this house, we just completed an extensive kitchen remodel, and years of memories were made within its walls. Our lovely garden with citrus trees is also destroyed. While we were able to pack a few belongings, there are irreplaceable losses — treasured books signed by mentors, photos that we cannot recover, our son's artwork, family memorabilia, and recently delivered mementos from Richard's parents' apartment. Our community is hurting deeply and it is a traumatic time.

So many friends have reached out asking what they can do. We are grateful for your emotional support. If you are so moved, we are also appreciative for donations to help us with : immediate temporary housing costs; essential items like clothing and necessities; basic furniture and household items, and setting up simple home offices as we move into new housing. As teachers and writers both, eventually, we hope to rebuild our book collections. To be clear, we will use this fund for expenses FEMA will not cover.

It will be a long road. We are trying to take the first step.

With heartfelt thanks. Elline, Richard, and Leo

If you prefer to donate to a broader relief effort, here are some other charities accepting donations:

GoFundMe.org’s Wildfire Relief Fund provides critical cash grants directly to people who need help.

World Central Kitchen’s Relief Team is in Southern California to support first responders and families impacted by wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

Community Organized Relief Effort is deploying an emergency response team to support those near the fires, where air quality is a major concern.

Americares is responding to the devasting wildfires around Los Angeles, providing medicines and medical supplies.