Help Kenny and Dorothy Rebuild after the Fire
Donation protected
For two days Kenny and Dorothy had been getting little sleep as they monitored the Stage Coach fire, which was near their home, a remote 25-acre mountain property near the town of Havilah, California.
Kenny thought that the fire was far and thought they had some leeway. He took a nap and then BOOM, he woke up to an explosion. When he opened the door he saw a 30-foot wall of flame and the explosion was his propane tank. The wind had shifted and the fire had come to their front door.
He ran to his wife, Dorothy, who was asleep in her cabin. They grabbed what they could and drove down the hour-long dirt and rocky road that only 4x4's can handle.
Ken said they had a minute to escape from the fire. Meanwhile, all the cabins that Ken built over the past 15 years, burned to the ground. Dorothy told me their neighbor said their property looks like a moonscape.
Ken and Dorothy called their property, Ancient Oak Retreat. They had planned to have retreats there, doing workshops for living off the grid, permaculture, wellness retreats and simple get-away's from the city. It's a remote mountain area, there is no cell reception, you are up at dawn and in bed by nightfall.
It was their dream to live off the grid, and over the years, they made that happen. During Ken's days off from his full-time job as a massage therapist at the Ojai Valley Inn, he would happily dig trenches to lay pipe from the natural spring, build an extra room on to the cabin, build rock walls and make other improvements. They would have friends and family come and help over the years, helping Kenny out here and there, but everything you see in the photos was built by Kenny.
2020 has been a hard year for everyone, and unfortunately for this couple, they got hit hard as well. After 22 years of working as a full-time massage therapist at the Ojai Valley Inn, he was permanently laid off in June due to Covid. His full-time income has been funding their dream.
Dorothy survived cancer a few years back and had budgeted every tool and building materials that Kenny needed to build their dream. And despite dealing with a lot of chronic pain which led her to retire earlier than planned, it was a place of tranquility.
They are looking forward to re-building their dream again, but need your help.
They will need building materials, tools, clothes, generators, solar panels, etc., too many to list. They don't even have shovels or rakes to clean up.
Joanna and I (Sharmila) used to work side-by-side with Ken for years doing massage and other body treatments. So, when we heard about how they lost their home to the fire, we had to help.
We know it's an uncertain time, and if you can, please give as generously as possible. Everything they had is gone, but it can be replaced. We are so grateful they are alive and healthy. They would never ask for help, so we are asking for them. Please know that every dime will be so appreciated.
They took photos of the Stage Coach fire earlier this week (today is August 6, 2020).
Other photos are from their Facebook page, Ancient Oak Retreat.
Sincerely,
Sharmila and Joanna
Kenny thought that the fire was far and thought they had some leeway. He took a nap and then BOOM, he woke up to an explosion. When he opened the door he saw a 30-foot wall of flame and the explosion was his propane tank. The wind had shifted and the fire had come to their front door.
He ran to his wife, Dorothy, who was asleep in her cabin. They grabbed what they could and drove down the hour-long dirt and rocky road that only 4x4's can handle.
Ken said they had a minute to escape from the fire. Meanwhile, all the cabins that Ken built over the past 15 years, burned to the ground. Dorothy told me their neighbor said their property looks like a moonscape.
Ken and Dorothy called their property, Ancient Oak Retreat. They had planned to have retreats there, doing workshops for living off the grid, permaculture, wellness retreats and simple get-away's from the city. It's a remote mountain area, there is no cell reception, you are up at dawn and in bed by nightfall.
It was their dream to live off the grid, and over the years, they made that happen. During Ken's days off from his full-time job as a massage therapist at the Ojai Valley Inn, he would happily dig trenches to lay pipe from the natural spring, build an extra room on to the cabin, build rock walls and make other improvements. They would have friends and family come and help over the years, helping Kenny out here and there, but everything you see in the photos was built by Kenny.
2020 has been a hard year for everyone, and unfortunately for this couple, they got hit hard as well. After 22 years of working as a full-time massage therapist at the Ojai Valley Inn, he was permanently laid off in June due to Covid. His full-time income has been funding their dream.
Dorothy survived cancer a few years back and had budgeted every tool and building materials that Kenny needed to build their dream. And despite dealing with a lot of chronic pain which led her to retire earlier than planned, it was a place of tranquility.
They are looking forward to re-building their dream again, but need your help.
They will need building materials, tools, clothes, generators, solar panels, etc., too many to list. They don't even have shovels or rakes to clean up.
Joanna and I (Sharmila) used to work side-by-side with Ken for years doing massage and other body treatments. So, when we heard about how they lost their home to the fire, we had to help.
We know it's an uncertain time, and if you can, please give as generously as possible. Everything they had is gone, but it can be replaced. We are so grateful they are alive and healthy. They would never ask for help, so we are asking for them. Please know that every dime will be so appreciated.
They took photos of the Stage Coach fire earlier this week (today is August 6, 2020).
Other photos are from their Facebook page, Ancient Oak Retreat.
Sincerely,
Sharmila and Joanna
Co-organizers (2)
Dorothy Hartmann
Organizer
Oxnard, CA
Kenneth Farchik
Beneficiary
Dorothy Hartmann
Co-organizer