Oakland House Fire Fund

One of my dearest friends, Rachael, and her roommates are now in one of the most dire situations of their lives. Their house in Pittsburgh burned down and although their lives were spared, they lost all of their possessions, including three of their four loving animals. They now have to start from scratch and that means things like the basics, from food to clothing and bedding, to bigger necessities like computers for schoolwork and deposits for another place to live. As you can see from the photo taken after the fire had been put out, only the structures, charred and destroyed, of their house as well as their neighbors' remain.

I ask for you to put yourself in their position and dig deep down into your hearts and pockets to give them anything you can. Life is random, and these things can, and do, happen to anyone.

The shock and trauma will last forever, but being able to at least claim some sense of normalcy and dignity does not have to take that long. With your help, we can make sure they have a way to get back on their feet.

Please pass this along to all of your friends and family. This is an opportunity to make a huge, immediate difference in someone's life.

If you prefer to donate items such as toiletries, towels, clothing, etc., contact me and I can organize those donations. The house next door was also destroyed and those folks will need all of those things as well!

Note that this is a personal fundraising page I am hosting as an individual to help my friends Rachael, Mel, Patrick and Belle who lived in the one home where the fire started. To find out ways to donate money specifically to the neighbors, some of whom were also students, contact the local Red Cross at [phone redacted].

With love.