Help house the Ford family after the fire

For more than a decade, Pastor Tom Ford and his wife, retired nurse Elsie Ford, were happy in what they thought would be their last home—a small house in Altadena, CA, near their beloved son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren.

Just before 4 AM on January 8, they fled that home as the Eaton Fire approached. With fire in their front yard and the air choked with smoke and embers, they were lucky to escape with their lives.

Tom and Elsie have their car, their cat and dog, their phones, a few days’ worth of medication, Tom’s hearing aids, and the clothes on their backs. Everything else has been lost to the flames.

This is what's left of the Fords' home.

Tom and Elsie are luckier than many. They are safe in a hotel for now. They have insurance and have begun the process of getting aid from FEMA. But it will take time for those benefits to kick in, and like many retirees, they are on a fixed income. Their family is helping as best they can (their son and his family also lost their home in the fire, as did their daughter-in-law's elderly parents).

We are hoping to raise funds to help with their costs for the next 3-6 months, especially housing (estimated at $3,500 per month), basic needs like food and clothing, and a replacement hearing aid for Elsie (estimated at $2,000). Anything you contribute will be used to help this sweet older couple, who have helped so many themselves, stay safe and well during this awful time.

So what does Elizabeth Arnold in Seattle have to do with this? I am lucky to count Tom and Elsie's daughter, Anne Ford, and son-in-law, David Figlio, among my closest friends, and have had the pleasure of knowing Tom and Elsie because of that relationship. I've taken on setting up this GoFundMe because the family have so much to do right now, I wanted them to have one less thing to worry about.