Bayanihan Spirit: Relief Fund For The Stevensons After Fire

Brandy Jones-Breth is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of The Stevenson Family.

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I’m Brandy, a friend of Marjorie, Chris and their son Vincent Stevenson who tragically lost their home in the devastating Pacific Palisades Fire. They are now facing the overwhelming challenge of putting their lives together from scratch and a relief fund as been started to support them.

As a new family attending Marquez Charter Elementary School, the Stevensons have warmly welcomed us. Vincent and our son Sebastian quickly became close friends, and when Marjorie and I discovered we were both Filipino, we instantly bonded.

We had the chance to connect with their family during the school's Holidays Around the World Festival. Together, our families hosted the Simbang Gabi booth, and the boys were excited to share our Filipino heritage with their classmates.

The Filipino word Bayanihan embodies the spirit of cooperation, where a community comes together especially in times of need to achieve a common goal without expecting anything in return.

The word traces its roots to the old days in the Philippine countryside, where an entire neighborhood would come together to help a family move their house, a bahay kubo, — literally. The community would physically lift the home and carry it to its new location. While this practice is no longer common, the spirit of Bayanihan remains alive and thriving, as we continue to unite in uplifting our fellow neighbors.

This is an opportunity for us to unite and support the Stevenson family.

As my family had to evacuate Santa Monica, Marjorie graciously invited us to join them at her dad’s home, an hour away. We witnessed them telling Vincent the heartbreaking news that his home, school, and gaming center had burned down.