Delia's home lost in devastating fire

On July 12, 2023, a devastating fire destroyed Delia Castillo’s apartment building in Los Angeles. The sirens and chaos spooked her cat, Norma. The heavy smoke made it difficult to find her and Delia had to leave her behind. In the aftermath, the building barely stood. Because of the fire marshal's investigation, she could not return to recover any possessions. When Delia was able to return home, she found her cat hiding under the bed. Adding insult to injury, she found looters had stolen or destroyed all that was left. Delia felt violated and vulnerable once again.

Delia leads with kindness and empathy. As Delia’s AP Family, we have decided to start this fundraiser. It's a small way to help bring some sense of normalcy to her life during this difficult time.

Here’s a little bit about Delia you may not know. Although she has been at AP for 21 years, Delia began her career as a photographer for the US Air Force for 6 years. Her first assignment was providing photographic support to the President of the United States, Vice President, Cabinet members and other distinguished visitors to the White House. She later worked closely with the Office of Criminal Investigations & Coroner’s Office, providing combat camera support during the military response of NATO to the 1999 Kosovo crisis.

Some of you might remember her on Chuck Zoeller’s team. She was responsible for preparing submissions for photo collection contests including the Pulitzer. Delia was promoted to the Assignments Team; managing operations and production budgets and overseeing photo assignments, were part of her daily routine. In her current role as a Photo Editor / Retoucher, her primary responsibility is to work closely with the NFL and photographers covering games, ensuring they have the necessary access and permissions to high-quality images in real time.

To say the least, Delia Castillo is an incredible individual.

This fundraiser is not AP-sponsored and by no means a solicitation to compel anyone to contribute.

Please forward this to anyone you think might be interested in helping Delia, within AP or outside.

We never know how our lives can change from one moment to another. No matter your struggles, you can always turn things around.

Thanks for your time, love and support.