Support Sharon Spangler after Eaton Fire loss

.Hey everyone,

On January 7, 2025, the Eaton Fire tore through Altadena and parts of Pasadena, fueled by unrelenting Santa Ana winds. As of now, the fire has grown to over 14,000 acres and is only 15% contained. Meanwhile, the nearby Palisades Fire has burned 22,000 acres and is just 11% contained. These fires have devastated entire neighborhoods, destroyed thousands of structures, and displaced over 150,000 people.

The situation remains volatile, with Santa Ana winds picking back up, making containment efforts even more difficult and threatening additional communities.

My name is Casey, and I’m a firefighter in Colorado. I’m organizing this fundraiser for my aunt Sharon, who lost her home on Maiden Lane in Altadena. This was also the home my cousin Morgan grew up in. While she hasn’t lived there for a couple of years, she kept many personal and sentimental belongings there.

Sharon had barely enough time to grab her car, her three large dogs, and two paintings my late grandmother made before the fire overtook everything. Everything else—her clothes, furniture, photos, mementos, and decades of memories—is gone.

To make matters worse, Morgan lost everything she had stored in the house, including all of her late father’s belongings. It’s an emotional blow on top of unimaginable loss.

While Sharon is actively working with her insurance company, disasters of this scale often present significant delays and challenges for victims as they navigate the recovery process. Insurance plays a critical role in helping homeowners recover, but these funds are intended to provide supplemental support for uncovered and immediate needs that arise during this difficult time.

Why $100,000?

Initially, we set a goal of $25,000 to help Sharon with her most urgent needs, and thanks to your incredible generosity, we met that goal!

However, it’s clear Sharon will require additional support to address challenges that cannot wait for longer-term solutions.

This campaign aims to provide Sharon with supplemental resources to help her through this transitional period:

• Housing Assistance: Ensuring Sharon has safe, stable housing during this period of transition, for any costs not fully addressed by insurance.

• Unforeseen Expenses: Addressing urgent costs that insurance may not cover, such as legal or advocacy support if needed.

• Daily Necessities: Providing essential items like clothing, toiletries, and supplies to help Sharon manage daily life while navigating the recovery process.

• Dog Care: Supporting immediate needs for boarding, food, and supplies for her three large pups.

This campaign is not a replacement for insurance but rather a way to fill gaps and address the immediate and supplemental needs that often arise after a disaster of this scale.

Your generosity has already made an incredible difference, and we are so grateful for the outpouring of support for Sharon. Whether you can donate or simply share this fundraiser, your kindness ensures she has the resources to move forward during this extraordinarily difficult time.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Casey

PS: GoFundMe charges an “administrative fee” or “tip” by default, but you can adjust it by scrolling to “Enter custom tip” and setting it to whatever you’re comfortable with—even $0. While the platform makes it easier to give, we understand everyone wants their donations to go as far as possible to help Sharon, so we thought this was worth mentioning.