Help Helene Perini Recover from May 2nd Apartment Fire
Donation protected
Hi, My name is Michael Crammond and I have started this GoFundMe to help Helene Perini after her historic apartment building in Russian Hill caught fire on May 2, 2024. Helene is a wonderfully strong woman that still serves the community at age 75 as an after school teacher at Jefferson School in the San Francisco Unified School District. She is loved by her students - something I was able to experience first hand when I worked with her 10 years ago doing an after school dance program. You might also recognize Helene's name as she is the widow of the legendary San Francisco photographer Jimo Perini . Before the fire, she was living in Jimo's apartment and maintaining his extensive photography archive.
Helene is currently without stable housing following the fire. Fortunately, her home did not burn (other units in the building were not so lucky), but there was smoke damage and currently she will not be able to return to her apartment for at least one year. Maybe longer. The landlord is currently offering her no help aside from refunding May's rent. She and her cat Perla have been staying in a motel since the incident. The motel does not have a refrigerator or kitchen. The funds raised will be used to secure temporary housing while she works with the city officials and the Red Cross to obtain emergency housing funding. This is a process that can take up to three weeks.
This is an immensely solvable problem, and I know we can crowdsource enough funds to secure temporary housing until the emergency housing funding goes through with the Red Cross. Fortunately, Helene has already been approved for an apartment, but she cannot sign her lease until the Red Cross finalizes the paperwork to assist in rent payments for her new apartment (which - as stated above - could take up to three weeks if things go without incident). If you donate today, here is where your money will go:
For the short term - while she waits for emergency housing funding:
- Temporary housing for Helene and her senior cat Perla
- To buy food until she gets a new living accommodation that includes a kitchen and refrigerator
For the long term:
- To buy kitchen essentials for her new living accommodations
- To buy new bedding and furniture for her apartment as smoke damage has ruined much of what was in the previous apartment.
- To buy clothes - a large portion of her wardrobe is damaged or inaccessible due building's state of disrepair.
- To restock her kitchen so she can stop eating out and start cooking for herself once again.
- Any additional funds she will use for restoring Jimo's extensive photography collection that was in the apartment during the fire.
Anything you can provide will be of immense help and it will go to immediate use.
A huge thank you to the San Francisco Fire Department for their speedy response to the fire and for minimizing damage.
Another massive thank you to the office of Aaron Peskin (big shout to Sunny Angulo) for helping her navigate city services and ensuring she was connected with the Red Cross.
Other ways to support: Check out https://www.jimosphoto.com/ and inquire about ordering a re-print or original print of Jimo's photography.
Organizer and beneficiary
Michael Crammond
Organizer
San Francisco, CA
Helene Kahn Perini
Beneficiary