Saunders Brothers: Recovery from Camp Fire
Donation protected
For those of you out of the area you may not have a grasp on what happened with the fire in Paradise California and surrounding communities. Paradise was a pleasant town of about 27,000 people a few minutes from where our family lives in Chico. The town is gone. Not a neighborhood, not a subdivision, the whole town is gone save for just a few buildings and even those cannot be used for months. There is no power and all the infrastructure is gone. 50,000 people were evacuated and maybe 30,000 have lost their primary residence, but it is more than that when you lose a town. If you lived and worked in Paradise you likely lost your home, the place where your kids go to school, and your job. More than likely you know many of the 700 people that are still missing or the 75+ confirmed dead. Let that sink in, 1 out of every 35 residents of the area is missing or deceased. They evacuated to surrounding communities that were already in a housing crisis. Chico and other communities are full of families housing relatives, parking lots with tents, and shelters bursting at the seams. Wednesday it will start raining which is good for the last of the fire, and horrible news for ash flows that will likely emerge from the town creating flash floods and a further problem for people in shelters and parking lots where the norovirus is spreading fast.
Everyone is doing what they can. Our family was lucky and got out of town for a week because the air quality was toxic and we were worried for our daughter. Now that we are back I am taking care of Evelyn while my wife works long hours volunteering with an animal recovery operation. There is no end in sight and the logistical challenges are daunting. What do you do with 3500 school children with no place to finish the semester? What do you do with thousands evacuees who were already poor and now they are poor, homeless, and jobless? The generosity of the community has been incredible. Businesses are offering free services whether they be heating unit repair or massage. People have opened their homes and lives to others they don’t know. But the community can only do so much. My Facebook feed is a stream of destitute families with gofundme accounts and heartbreaking stories. If you feel compelled to help you should make a donation to the North Valley Community Foundation, they keep overhead low, have a great track record and directly help shelters. Mainly I just want folks from out of the area to understand what is happening here. Somewhere between Ivanka Trump news, Monday Night Football, and whatever is happening with the stock market an entire town was wiped out by the deadliest fire in California history. The fire is dying out, but the crisis is in its infancy. My heart hurts, as the reality sets in.
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Below written by Cynthia Roberts
My mind is starting to accept the true magnitude of destruction this firestorm has unleashed. The Camp fire did not just ravage the beautiful community of Paradise and Butte County; its reach spreads far beyond.
Andy Saunders is the kind of man who always lends assistance to others when he is able. The kind of person who stops on the side of the road, lord know he loves those backroads, to feed an apple to a horse or simply enjoy the sheer beauty of the wildlife and share it with us, on Facebook. He enjoyed sitting on his back porch watching, Skipper, Jiffer, Black Beauty (Blackie), Ju Ju, Jay Jay, Stevie Ray, Momo, and Grey Wolf play and cuddle with each other. He never wastes food, the deer, turkeys, raccoons, skunks, etc.…, always had a meal; if he ran out of hummingbird juice or seed the birds were sure to let him know.
One of Andy’s greatest joys is to bring people together, no matter what their differences, because intrinsically we are all the same. He started gathering together friends, loved ones, & classmates, to honor the memory of his and brother Norm Saunders beloved Mother and Father. Later it morphed into reunion cocktail hours and parties. He was able to find kindhearted musicians to play at little or no fee and whatever that was needed beyond that, Andy took from his own pocket, because family and friends are what it is all about!
Andy is a proud man and when I mentioned to him, that I wanted to put a go fund me page together, he did not want to focus on himself, “I will be alright” he exclaimed. He was focused on how grateful he was that Norm, Kyle and his family, Charlene, April & her family, and other community friends, as well as himself, were able to get to safety. However, he truly does need help and so does Norm Saunders!
Norm, his child’s mother Tammy, her daughter Marissa, his son Kyle have all been impacted too. Tammy and the children, will most likely be relocating and Norm will need to be near his cherished son. Norm will have to make new connections, find new clients for his carpet cleaning business, find a new place to live, and all that comes with starting over again.
Andy’s home, multiple businesses, all of his art collection-including those he sold for business, 9 underinsured classic cars, truck with trailer, RV, mothers poetry, grandparents china and war memorabilia, photos of he and Norm’s family, antique cabinets containing beautiful things passed down several generations, poof gone… Andy is a sentimental man and the latter has just been killing him.
In coming days, his mortgage and property tax will be due and he will have to acquire new tools, new work equipment, clothes, shoes, sifters, masks, heavy boots, and all that comes with his new journey.
If there is any way you are able to help the Saunders Brothers, no amount is too small. Any resources, gift cards, clothing, well-wishes, advise, etc.…are greatly appreciated!!!
Above all…the calls, texts, kind thoughts, well wishes, comradery, and love that you all have already expressed has meant the world!
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I am Andrew Saunders and I will be distributing funds from this campaign to Norman Saunders to help in his recovery from the Camp Fire Paradise CA
Norm has a son Kyle who lives with his Mother. Norm is in limbo now and will need to relocate soon to be near Kyle. All proceeds will be used by him to start over.
Norm needs housing and food to keep him moving forward. As soon as donations are made, I distribute to Norm on a weekly basis. Your support is already making a BIG Difference in our lives at the most critical time.
Your generosity is appreciated greatly.
God Bless you all... Andy
Everyone is doing what they can. Our family was lucky and got out of town for a week because the air quality was toxic and we were worried for our daughter. Now that we are back I am taking care of Evelyn while my wife works long hours volunteering with an animal recovery operation. There is no end in sight and the logistical challenges are daunting. What do you do with 3500 school children with no place to finish the semester? What do you do with thousands evacuees who were already poor and now they are poor, homeless, and jobless? The generosity of the community has been incredible. Businesses are offering free services whether they be heating unit repair or massage. People have opened their homes and lives to others they don’t know. But the community can only do so much. My Facebook feed is a stream of destitute families with gofundme accounts and heartbreaking stories. If you feel compelled to help you should make a donation to the North Valley Community Foundation, they keep overhead low, have a great track record and directly help shelters. Mainly I just want folks from out of the area to understand what is happening here. Somewhere between Ivanka Trump news, Monday Night Football, and whatever is happening with the stock market an entire town was wiped out by the deadliest fire in California history. The fire is dying out, but the crisis is in its infancy. My heart hurts, as the reality sets in.
-----------------------------------------
Below written by Cynthia Roberts
My mind is starting to accept the true magnitude of destruction this firestorm has unleashed. The Camp fire did not just ravage the beautiful community of Paradise and Butte County; its reach spreads far beyond.
Andy Saunders is the kind of man who always lends assistance to others when he is able. The kind of person who stops on the side of the road, lord know he loves those backroads, to feed an apple to a horse or simply enjoy the sheer beauty of the wildlife and share it with us, on Facebook. He enjoyed sitting on his back porch watching, Skipper, Jiffer, Black Beauty (Blackie), Ju Ju, Jay Jay, Stevie Ray, Momo, and Grey Wolf play and cuddle with each other. He never wastes food, the deer, turkeys, raccoons, skunks, etc.…, always had a meal; if he ran out of hummingbird juice or seed the birds were sure to let him know.
One of Andy’s greatest joys is to bring people together, no matter what their differences, because intrinsically we are all the same. He started gathering together friends, loved ones, & classmates, to honor the memory of his and brother Norm Saunders beloved Mother and Father. Later it morphed into reunion cocktail hours and parties. He was able to find kindhearted musicians to play at little or no fee and whatever that was needed beyond that, Andy took from his own pocket, because family and friends are what it is all about!
Andy is a proud man and when I mentioned to him, that I wanted to put a go fund me page together, he did not want to focus on himself, “I will be alright” he exclaimed. He was focused on how grateful he was that Norm, Kyle and his family, Charlene, April & her family, and other community friends, as well as himself, were able to get to safety. However, he truly does need help and so does Norm Saunders!
Norm, his child’s mother Tammy, her daughter Marissa, his son Kyle have all been impacted too. Tammy and the children, will most likely be relocating and Norm will need to be near his cherished son. Norm will have to make new connections, find new clients for his carpet cleaning business, find a new place to live, and all that comes with starting over again.
Andy’s home, multiple businesses, all of his art collection-including those he sold for business, 9 underinsured classic cars, truck with trailer, RV, mothers poetry, grandparents china and war memorabilia, photos of he and Norm’s family, antique cabinets containing beautiful things passed down several generations, poof gone… Andy is a sentimental man and the latter has just been killing him.
In coming days, his mortgage and property tax will be due and he will have to acquire new tools, new work equipment, clothes, shoes, sifters, masks, heavy boots, and all that comes with his new journey.
If there is any way you are able to help the Saunders Brothers, no amount is too small. Any resources, gift cards, clothing, well-wishes, advise, etc.…are greatly appreciated!!!
Above all…the calls, texts, kind thoughts, well wishes, comradery, and love that you all have already expressed has meant the world!
--------------------------------------------------
I am Andrew Saunders and I will be distributing funds from this campaign to Norman Saunders to help in his recovery from the Camp Fire Paradise CA
Norm has a son Kyle who lives with his Mother. Norm is in limbo now and will need to relocate soon to be near Kyle. All proceeds will be used by him to start over.
Norm needs housing and food to keep him moving forward. As soon as donations are made, I distribute to Norm on a weekly basis. Your support is already making a BIG Difference in our lives at the most critical time.
Your generosity is appreciated greatly.
God Bless you all... Andy
Organizer
Andy Saunders
Organizer
Paradise, CA