Help Saku Rebuild After Pacific Palisades Fire

My name is Ellen Spindel. I'm originally from Brooklyn, NY, and I currently reside in Los Angeles. I am an actress/writer, and I'm here to help my friend Saku Joyce Couper with this GoFundMe page. Saku and I have been friends for over two decades through our Yoga and Meditation Group.

Saku lost her home (of 20 years) and everything in it during the Pacific Palisades fires. She needs relief to help rebuild her life, find affordable permanent housing, and replace some important items (computer, clothes, kitchen, furniture, etc.).

The funds will be used for rent, food, bills, utilities, gasoline, basic furnishings, and basic daily necessities.

On the day of the fires, Saku grabbed her dog Luna, her car keys, threw a few items in a bag, and drove down the hill to safety.

Saku is a retired LAUSD school teacher who organized students to perform at the Hollywood Bowl, playing their recorders during summer programs. Saku's interests are Black History and Native American History. She had a collection of rare books from her worldwide travels regarding those subjects. She was born in Glendale, raised in Burbank, and lived in New York and India. She went back to the area where her home was and searched through the ashes. The only item that survived the fire was a bronze statue of Ganesh, a Hindu deity known as the remover of obstacles and the patron of new beginnings.