Help 10 Marin families after fire destroyed homes

My name is Gina Ayala Claxton, and I currently serve as Board President of Canal Alliance - an organization dedicated to immigrant families in Marin County.

On December 19th, 2022, ten families in our Marin community lost their homes to a construction fire at 400 Canal Street in San Rafael. Thankfully, all twenty adults and seven school-aged children escaped the four-story, 99-unit building without physical harm. However, the fire caused permanent damage to their apartments and destroyed everything they owned.

The property owner has agreed to pay for the families to shelter at a local motel through January 21st. After January 21st, the families will need to find long-term housing and will need resources to start rebuilding their lives.

We are relying on the generosity of our community to help these families pay for temporary housing and basic necessities as we work towards longer-term solutions. All donations will be divided among the residents.

Few of us can imagine starting a new year after losing our homes along with absolutely everything we own. Please do what you can to help these families - our co-workers, friends, classmates, neighbors - get through this very challenging and traumatic experience.

Thank you in advance for your generosity.

If you have an apartment available for rent, please contact Yolanda Oviedo at Canal Alliance.

Click here for Marin IJ article

With gratitude to the following organizations for coordinating the emergency response:

Canal Alliance, County of Marin, City of San Rafael, ExtraFood, Legal Aid of Marin, Marin Community Clinics, Marin County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, San Rafael Harbor Rotary, The American Red Cross, and Voces del Canal.