Hi friends,

My name is John Alvarado. I live in Tustin, CA, not far from where I grew up with my life-long friend Greg Marquez, who I met at Dale Junior High School in Anaheim. Greg and his wife Sheri have always been among the kindest and most generous people I know. They have helped me and my family out of financial jams more than once. They have been generous throughout the years in hosting holiday celebrations in their home with friends and extended family. In fact, my family has celebrated almost every Thanksgiving holiday with them at their home since the mid-90s. My three boys and their three girls have grown up together like cousins.

I'm so grateful to have Greg and Sheri in my life, and I thank God that they, along with their daughters and three cats, survived the Eaton wildfire, which forced them from their home in Altadena on January 7th, 2025. Weeks later, they've finally been allowed to return to their property to assess the damage and try to resume their lives. Thankfully, their home was among the lucky ones that escaped the worst that fire can do. Hedges in their yard burned down, and an attached wooden patio cover in the backyard burned, but by a miracle, it burned out without igniting the house! Still, they've learned how much damage the dense smoke from a massive wildfire can cause. Their home's interior was covered in a layer of toxic soot, making it unsafe to inhabit. Cleaning requires professional help, and their insurance does not cover the expense. Nor does it cover the motel and other living expenses they incurred during the weeks of evacuation. The total expense is from 36 to 40 thousand dollars depending on the final smoke remediation and fire repair cost.

I'm reaching out to all friends of Greg and Sheri to help them in their time of need. Please donate what you can to help them recover from the damage caused by the tragic Eaton wildfire.