While driving home from Pilates this morning, we passed the caravan returning the fallen firefighter, Cory Iverson, to his home in San Diego from the Thomas fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. It is so devastating to lose a life. 8300 firefighters have been deployed.18,000 structures are threatened.This fire is now the largest we have seen in California. How can we help?
My friend who almost lost her home in Sonoma last month gave me the following advice: don’t send clothes, or diapers or food. Send money. Purchasing what is needed in the local community will help restart the economy and save jobs. So many people have lost everything. Entire communities have been devastated.
My friend suggested something else: continue to give to the charities you normally support. Typically, when there is a tragedy, we take the amount we would have given to our faves and give it to the hurricane victims, the fire victims or others who desperately need help. Meanwhile, the charities that count on our support see a significant drop in contributions.
Here is my plea, give more to charity. Give generously as best you can. Give to Puerto Rico which is still without power and so much more. Give to the fire victims who will be struggling all over California. Give to help stop homelessness, hunger, drug addiction and the many scourges we face in our world. Don’t forget charities outside of the US, or your place of worship.
Give thanks to the first responders and the continuing responders who do their best in emergencies to keep us safe. Please wait until the fires are over to stop by with cupcakes. They are all exhausted.
Let’s all be just a bit nicer to everyone we see for the rest of the year. All our communities will benefit.
May your holidays be safe and filled with joy. Thanks for reading my posts.
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