Dear Friends,

As many of you know, after a difficult eviction from our old home in Highland Park, we relocated to the beautiful community of Altadena in June of 2024. We developed a deep appreciation for this vibrant and creative area through Brayden’s school, Odyssey South in Altadena, and we were excited to settle in after our move and raise him in the foothills of the mountains. Unfortunately, following the Eaton Canyon fire, we have had to reassess our aspirations and circumstances.

The vast majority of homes on our street and surrounding neighborhood were entirely destroyed by the fire. However, the house we rent survived, which we recognize is a privilege shared by only a few in our community. We feel fortunate to have been able to return briefly to collect some of Brayden’s artwork, photographs, and other sentimental items. However, we are now faced with the reality that our home will be unlivable for at least 6 months, if not longer, or possibly ever. The toxic smoke and ash emitted by nearby burning homes infiltrated our home, deeply penetrating and saturating furniture, rugs and flooring, walls, blankets and clothing, and stuffed animals. Most of our furniture and other items will need to be discarded. Unfortunately, we did not have renter's insurance, so we face significant costs in replacing these items. These costs sit atop all the money we unexpectedly had to spend the past few weeks on basic material items like clothes, shoes, blankets, and food given that we left everything behind in our home when we evacuated Altadena.

To address our situation, we have set up this GoFundMe campaign that will assist in treating and rehabilitating our current home if that is possible, or furnishing a new home if that becomes necessary. We will require essential items such as mattresses, linens, couches, chairs, and rugs, regardless of where we end up, as all of those items have severe chemical smoke damage.

Moreover, due to our evacuation and extended stay in Northern California, I (Faith) have not been able to work the last month, which has placed us in a challenging financial position. Any contributions would be greatly appreciated, but please know there is no obligation, as we understand there are many people in need of support at this time. Several friends have expressed a desire to help, so we set up this campaign as we really could use the help as we step into the next chapter. We are so grateful for the kindness that has already been extended. If you feel you are willing and able to contribute to us, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you all for your ongoing support during this difficult time.

Faith, Ben, and Brayden