Help Greg and Senta Restart After Fire

Greg stayed up all night on Tuesday, Jan 7th, checking the status of the Eaton fire every 20 minutes. By 2 AM, the flames on the adjacent hill were visible from the end of his street. Even though they hadn't received the official evacuation warning yet, Greg decided it was time to leave. He jumped over the fence to warn the neighbors who have a special needs child; he pounded on their windows to rouse them and saved their lives. Senta and Eloise grabbed the last few things and got into the car along with their two cats, and an elderly dog. (Greg’s son Rye was not at home that night.)

By morning, Greg and Senta's house—and most of the town of Altadena—was reduced to a pile of rubble and ash.

My name is Cecilia, and I am Greg's older sister (in Oregon), and I am setting up this fund on Greg and Senta's behalf. When I talked with him recently, he got choked up multiple times—not because of the overwhelm of losing all of his family's home and physical belongings—but because of the outpouring of love, people offering to help, old friends and work colleagues checking in and giving support. In the days since the fire, folks from surrounding areas have shown up in his neighborhood, not to loot, but to clean up downed trees and branches, opening up the trunks of their cars to hand out free water, food, and clothes.

Multiple times Greg and Senta have expressed that their greatest things in life were not the physical possessions lost in the fire. Although there is the loss of many mementoes, far and beyond, their family and friends are their most treasured gifts. And it will be a multi-year process to replace what they have lost.

While Greg and Senta would not ask for this for themselves, we are setting up a fund for them so that they can be surrounded by our love and support as they focus on all the details of recovering their lives. They have pledged that any money raised on their behalf for the short term will get reinvested back into their community in the longer term.

They are experiencing a significant financial strain right now. And could use help getting back on their feet. The funds collected will solely be used to cover unexpected expenses that are not being covered by any other disaster relief aid. They had just bought the house in July. It could take months for just the town to get cleared up (the debris hauled away, the electricity and gas restored, the contaminated water to be addressed). Getting their life back together could take years.

In our culture that values individualism and self-sufficiency, asking for help can feel vulnerable and uncomfortable. In an attempt to reassure Greg that it was okay to ask for help one of his good friends told him, "Mutual aid is our only way forward; there will always be a shifting tide of need and abundance."

We know many people's lives have been impacted by the fires. And if you have abundance in your life that Greg and Senta can use as a temporary bridge, it will carry them forward as their community recovers from this fire.

Greg said, "In accepting help from the community, it is our intention to put back into the community that which we receive, once we are back on our feet."

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your love, support, blessings, and warm wishes.

Thank you for being part of the community of family and friends that Greg and Senta know are their most treasured gifts.