Support the Heffernan Family’s Recovery From the Eaton Fire

I am Jerri Heffernan’s sister Carroll. Jerri, Brendan, their kids Lucy and Charlie, two cats and dog Turbo, lost their home, all their possessions, and one vehicle in the Eaton Fire. I hesitated to start a GoFundMe, but now realize they have such a long journey ahead, and will be displaced for likely up to two years while they start the process to rebuild. Jerri loved her neighborhood and the amazing Altadena community. I struggle to imagine the loss after 11 years on Wapello Street and I know they will do whatever it takes to return. Thank you to anyone who can contribute in any way toward their journey, even if it is just to share this link as you can. Any funds raised will go toward their immediate needs to find long-term temporary housing and all the expenses related to replacing what they have lost, including most of their belongings and one vehicle.

1/13/2025 - Update

Just a quick update and thank you to everyone who has donated and/or shared. The Heffs have moved into an Airbnb for four weeks while they look for a long-term rental of 12 months or more. Finding something is going to be TOUGH as there are 1000+ others also looking in the Altadena area. Luckily Charlie's school did not burn down, so he is starting back this week. The Heffs are also getting a lesson in sharing one vehicle between three people. Cozy! Please send some good vibes their way and hopefully they find a rental that will work while they figure out next steps. Oh - and I've been asked by a few people - yes, that is Jerri's actual license plate. When I say she loves her community, I mean it!

UPDATE: 1/20/2025: A note from Brendan and Jerri

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

We can’t express how grateful we are for all of the love and support we have been shown. Thank you all for everything. Your actions have made a real impact on our lives and we appreciate every single one of you.

We are currently in an AirBNB in Arcadia/Temple City. We plan to move into a new apartment building in Duarte right at the Metro station so Brendan can take the train to work at the end of February. It’s pretty close to Jerri’s work and Charlie’s school (for 5 more months) and it takes pets! We’ll be in the AirBNB for another month so we decided the heck with it and are buying the good coffee maker and some decent silverware because those can be permanent buys.

We’re going to close off this site so we can close off this chapter of our process. If you are looking to to donate to an individual, here is a link to a friend at work who also lost her family home and is a young mom. Or here is GoFundMe’s list of sites specific to these wildfires.

Some things I’ve learned from the experience:

1) It’s hard to be the one who needs help.

For lots of reasons it’s hard to admit you need help, hard to accept help, and it feels counter to how I’m supposed to act as a good midwesterner. I’m really impressed with others who have been so graceful in their gratitude. I’ve also learned it’s best to just help others rather than ask them. For example, thank you specifically to Carroll, Jerri’s sister, who pushed us to set up this site. I resisted doing it but it’s been a great help.

2) It really is the thought that counts.

I’m not saying the money doesn’t count because it does – we need it and we will use it. We’re in awe at how much you have all donated to us. But a small donation from a person haven’t seen in years will make you tear up as much as a big one.

a) Our pool guy sent a text the day after the fire that he spent the day trying to save homes with people’s pool water but just couldn’t get to our house, that he was sorry and that we should consider our bill paid in full. Well, if we ever have a pool again, he’s hired forever.

b) Having been through this I now feel like I owe the world a lot more than I used to and will be better at giving. So please know that your gifts to us will be multiplied over time in future gifts to others. There is a multiplier effect for doing good.

3) Altadena was a really special place.

I deeply appreciate how diverse and weird it was. I loved carrying a beer out to the guy on horseback at the liquor store. I loved that there were mansions next to rehab houses next to acre lots with one cottage on them next to homes owned by families for generations next to farms with alpaca and chickens. It was comedy when people reported a missing pig on social media and there were multiple replies. We saw bears, peacocks, bobcats, mountain lions and one time a lady walking her zebra.

4) Mono no aware (where’s the English phrase for this?).

Beautiful things are not given to us forever. We are very, very fortunate that we didn’t lose any people we love, we have insurance, we have jobs, we have a large network, and so we have it easier than most. We are deeply grateful for all this. But some of what we had and some of Altadena will be lost. Things that take a long time to grow have a complexity that you can’t replicate quickly. Creation is by nature slower than destruction. There’s a sadness to that but the fragility of things undeniably adds to their beauty.

Thank you all. You are amazing.