Assist Rick and Sam in Finding a New Home

Hello! My name is Samantha, and my life partner is Rick Orner.

If you don't know Rick, he is a very hardworking artist, and senior puppet builder at Bob Baker Marionette Theater in Highland Park, CA. Rick is the kindest person I know, and will always go above and beyond for anyone.

I (Sam) am a disabled former special needs preschool teacher, photographer, and personal assistant. Born and raised in Los Angeles. I believe in always leading with kindness and compassion for others.

Now, we need a little help. We are being directly affected by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California.

Rick evacuated his home on January 6th, and has been staying with me at a friend's place in Granada Hills. While Rick's home is still standing, and so many others lost everything, we had every hope to return to his cozy little pool house once city inspectors deemed it safe to inhabit once again, but this was not to be.

Unfortunately on Monday the 27th, we received word from Rick's landlady that his unit, along with her home in front of his place, are uninhabitable due to toxins from ash and smoke. The process to have remediation completed currently is very long, and it would take months before it could be done, so his landlady had to make the decision to terminate his lease.

This was an unexpected circumstance, and while we were planning on getting a place together this year, we were not quite prepared to have to navigate this course so abruptly.

We are reaching out to our friends, family, and community in hopes that we can raise just enough money to cover a new bed, a (used) fridge, the cleaning of all items that were in the house, and other moving expenses.

We know that so many people have given so much to help wildfire victims, so we understand that a donation may not be possible, but we would greatly appreciate it if you could share our fundraiser on your social media platforms.

We appreciate all of the prayers, encouragement, and concern that our friends and loved ones have shown us in the past few weeks.