Horrific Ashland, Oregon Fire Devastation
Donation protected
Many of you know the name Gib Acuna! This picture gives an inkling of the happy, sincere, loving, and incredibly selfless human being he is. And he is illustrating these qualities once again to his community in need.
On September 8, 2,000 people tragically lost their homes and treasured belongings in the Almeda Fire in Ashland, Oregon, from the horrific fires. Their hopes and dreams for the future went up in a blaze and turned everything into a pile of rubble, to only be replaced with a tremendous sense of overwhelming loss and fear for their day-to-day existence and future. Their spirit and faith is truly being been tested.
And then there's Gib! Thank God for giving him the strength, level headedness, and enormous heart as he takes every ounce of love in him to tirelessly do the foot work to help this community rise above this heart-wrenching tragedy. I speak to him often, and several other residents as well, but as distraught as they are, they have expressed to me, through tears of gratitude, how grateful they are to have Gib looking out for them.
Gib helping people in need is not new to him. When I met Gib back in 2008, he was travelling this beautiful country on his motorcycle after being treated for cancer from exposure to Agent Orange from the Vietnam War. This Purple-Hearted Army Soldier's mission was to raise awareness and money for cancer research. With his passion and drive, Gib was quite successful at this endeavor.
His energy is continuously focused on generously giving his time, money and support to people in need. To name a few of his deeds, he served as a Children's Advocate in the court system for years, volunteers for Meals on Wheels, and provides comfort, in many ways, needed to those people, especially the disabled, even prior to the fires.
Once again, Gib is doing whatever is necessary to help raise funds for people in need. He has given much of his own money to them instead of thinking of his own future, as he, too, was left with nothing. Putting others' needs above his own is a demonstration of the love in his heart for others.
This community is still awaiting FEMA to assess the devastation, but the resources they will provide, along with the minimal home insurance of the residents, will not be nearly enough to get them housing or meet their basic needs. People in the nearby towns have been providing food, water, and much love, all of which is so needed and appreciated. What is desperately needed, especially with the cooler months approaching, is money to help them rebuild. May I ask...if you are able to, would you kindly give whatever amount you can to begin the restoration of their homes... and spirits of these challenged people...to give them hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel...to show them that people care about what happens to them. With immense gratitude, Karen
On September 8, 2,000 people tragically lost their homes and treasured belongings in the Almeda Fire in Ashland, Oregon, from the horrific fires. Their hopes and dreams for the future went up in a blaze and turned everything into a pile of rubble, to only be replaced with a tremendous sense of overwhelming loss and fear for their day-to-day existence and future. Their spirit and faith is truly being been tested.
And then there's Gib! Thank God for giving him the strength, level headedness, and enormous heart as he takes every ounce of love in him to tirelessly do the foot work to help this community rise above this heart-wrenching tragedy. I speak to him often, and several other residents as well, but as distraught as they are, they have expressed to me, through tears of gratitude, how grateful they are to have Gib looking out for them.
Gib helping people in need is not new to him. When I met Gib back in 2008, he was travelling this beautiful country on his motorcycle after being treated for cancer from exposure to Agent Orange from the Vietnam War. This Purple-Hearted Army Soldier's mission was to raise awareness and money for cancer research. With his passion and drive, Gib was quite successful at this endeavor.
His energy is continuously focused on generously giving his time, money and support to people in need. To name a few of his deeds, he served as a Children's Advocate in the court system for years, volunteers for Meals on Wheels, and provides comfort, in many ways, needed to those people, especially the disabled, even prior to the fires.
Once again, Gib is doing whatever is necessary to help raise funds for people in need. He has given much of his own money to them instead of thinking of his own future, as he, too, was left with nothing. Putting others' needs above his own is a demonstration of the love in his heart for others.
This community is still awaiting FEMA to assess the devastation, but the resources they will provide, along with the minimal home insurance of the residents, will not be nearly enough to get them housing or meet their basic needs. People in the nearby towns have been providing food, water, and much love, all of which is so needed and appreciated. What is desperately needed, especially with the cooler months approaching, is money to help them rebuild. May I ask...if you are able to, would you kindly give whatever amount you can to begin the restoration of their homes... and spirits of these challenged people...to give them hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel...to show them that people care about what happens to them. With immense gratitude, Karen
Organizer
Karen Chiarini
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY
