Al and Kathy Sosa live(d) in Weed, CA, in the Mt Shasta Area. The devastating Mill Fire that hit the area early this month took their home and most of their earthly possessions. With little warning, Al, Kathy, and their disabled granddaughter, Cassandra (“CJ”), had to flee their home with only a bare minimum of equipment for 18 y.o. CJ, who is non-ambulatory.

What makes Kathy and Al particularly special is that they gave up their floral shop years ago to care for CJ, who requires a saintly amount of care to ensure her tenuous health and well-being. The good news is that the three of them escaped with their lives. They had lived in their A-frame home for decades. After paying it off, they had been creating a space where they could enjoy their retirement, albeit with a limited fixed income, and filled with the great responsibility of caring for CJ. While Al, Kathy and CJ have, with the help of a local friend, secured a place to stay in the area, for the time being, they now have the extra financial burden of paying rent, obtaining furniture, and all the other needed personal, and household items lost to the fire. One can only imagine what a disruption of this magnitude might be like.

 

I realize you've likely seen many GoFundMe pages in recent years. Without a personal connection to the recipient, many of us might ask why we would donate to someone we don't even know. Perhaps it would be the recognition that any of us could be in a similar position. We would gratefully welcome a bit of financial help as we wade through the emotional and bureaucratic process of rebuilding our lives.

Any contribution, however large or small, would be greatly appreciated as we help Kathy, Al and CJ mend their lives and ease the trauma of this monumental upheaval. 

~ With deep gratitude