Paradise lost and burned
Donation protected
My brother, Mark, is one of the victims of the "Camp Fire" that literally burned down the town of Paradise, California. Fortunately (and gratefully), he escaped, but with only the clothes on his back and a non-working cell phone. His apartment building has burned to the ground and he has lost everything, including his beloved record collection of 5,000 albums that he had been collecting since he was a teen-ager. The record collection included rare and collectible albums and 45’s dating from 1964 (including rare albums, David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs with original cover and Court of the Crimson King as well as many others). Certainly a sad loss, but we are extremely grateful that he is alive.
Mark teaches film and TV editing at Butte College but the College cannot help at present. Butte is closed and it is not known when classes will resume; and, Butte College has no facilities to take in evacuees There is no one nearby who can help him – I’m in Chicago and not financially able to help him, nor are his children. We have no other family. He is temporarily staying with some people in Oroville, but that can be only temporary. The nearby area shelters are full and nothing can be done by federal/state services for those displaced by the Camp Fire until it is contained (at present it is only 20% contained). Even the Red Cross is overwhelmed. I am posting this in the hopes that someone may know someone in Chico that he could stay with until the fire is contained and FEMA can help the displaced Paradise (and surrounding) area residents of the Camp Fire in Paradise. AirBnB is offering free rooms, but none in Chico, most are close to 100 miles away and of course, he has no car, so that is not an option. I’m trying to raise some money so that he can find a place to stay in Chico and perhaps get a car so that he can start the long painful process of getting back on his feet.
Many thanks for any help you can share as soon as possible and please, send good thoughts and prayers for all of the victims of the Northern and Southern California Fires.
Mark teaches film and TV editing at Butte College but the College cannot help at present. Butte is closed and it is not known when classes will resume; and, Butte College has no facilities to take in evacuees There is no one nearby who can help him – I’m in Chicago and not financially able to help him, nor are his children. We have no other family. He is temporarily staying with some people in Oroville, but that can be only temporary. The nearby area shelters are full and nothing can be done by federal/state services for those displaced by the Camp Fire until it is contained (at present it is only 20% contained). Even the Red Cross is overwhelmed. I am posting this in the hopes that someone may know someone in Chico that he could stay with until the fire is contained and FEMA can help the displaced Paradise (and surrounding) area residents of the Camp Fire in Paradise. AirBnB is offering free rooms, but none in Chico, most are close to 100 miles away and of course, he has no car, so that is not an option. I’m trying to raise some money so that he can find a place to stay in Chico and perhaps get a car so that he can start the long painful process of getting back on his feet.
Many thanks for any help you can share as soon as possible and please, send good thoughts and prayers for all of the victims of the Northern and Southern California Fires.
Organizer and beneficiary
Margo Speer
Organizer
Chicago, IL
Mark Speer
Beneficiary