Rivas Home Mud Fund

Hello, my name is Dakota and we live in a beautiful area located in a secluded canyon in West Hills, Ca. Last night our home life changed so suddenly. As many Californians experienced we had a significant amount of rain. The rain formed a run off which turned to a waterfall that brought mud, boulders, debris and part of a hillside into our yard/surrounding our home. We have 3 sheds which were unfortunately already covered in mud making it nearly impossible to open the doors to get to anything to move it. My husband and I had to move our two kids ages 9 and 10 to a community clubhouse because the fire dept advised us we needed to evacuate as they fear more of the hillside may come down. With the kids safe at the clubhouse we went back to our home and just knew we couldn’t quit. We ran to neighbors asking for shovels since we couldn’t get in our sheds and thankfully were loaned two shovels. We dug out a path for hours in the pouring rain while stuck in 2 feet of mud in the pitch black. Through tears and frustration We poured our entire strength and hearts into saving our home last night. We just couldn’t loose it without knowing we tried all we could do. For those who don’t know we just moved into this home after a battle for years living in a home with many safety and health issues so we’re finally settling in and our kids were finally enjoying a safe home. Thankfully while we were desperately working to keep the mud flowing a neighbor showed up out of no where and began shoveling as well. For hours the 3 of us continued shoveling and shoveling if we stopped it was backed up again. The drains were overwhelmed and totally blocked when the fire dept checked so the waterfall was literally just dumping right at the back of our home. Our neighbor had the idea to build a barrier to direct the water to the driveway and not the house. After some work it finally seemed to be working. Then the drain became even more overwhelmed with the added water going that way and it began quickly flooding. For the safety of our family we decided it was time to go. Around 2 am we went with our kids and dogs to sleep in our community clubhouse. This morning we woke and went right back to the house to get back to work clearing debris. We have a layer of mud and water inside but are drying it out and the water has gone down. Thankfully today maintenance crew is here and clearing the drains so water is starting to go the way it should be but the damage is already so overwhelming. Our entire property is covered in over a foot of mud. Our sheds have been flooded and most likely will have to be replaced. We won’t know what damage is done to the structure but there is about 2 feet of mud and other debris under the home. Half our electrical is not working and our drains are backing up so possibly a pipe is broken somewhere. Today more rain is expected so for now we are just holding on and going to try and make a normal night for the kids. Hopefully we can fund a hotel room until we know it’s safe being home. We were already struggling financially and had been preparing for a yard sale since we moved in November. Sadly everything we were preparing to sell this Saturday was inside our sheds. Our emergency fund back up plan just got washed away. We had just paid for a taller and more secure fence in the yard to keep our pet sitting pets safe and that’s the first thing the fire dept had to come and cut down. I don’t know where to even begin with processing what’s been changed for us but this is definitely a life changing event that I’m not sure how to recover from. Our family never asks for help and we dedicate our lives to caring for animals through our pet sitting business and our years of working in the Veterinary field. We truly love what we do and enjoy helping our community and dont want this to stop us. If you are able to donate any amount we really appreciate it. If you cant donate financially please don't feel pressured even just sharing can help. We will take any prayers and positive thoughts as well.

Prayers for everyone affected by this storm and for the rain to stop soon

Thank you,

Dakota, Walter, Isaac, Maleeyah, Polly Pocket and Mia.