It isn’t hard to find that most tragedies can hit very close to home. The California wildfires are no exception. Neal Diede, has recently lost his home in Paradise, California to the fire. Neal and his girlfriend packed everything they could into their Excursion and left their house. They were in gridlock on the freeway when they had to leave their vehicle and make a run for it. They watched their vehicle go up in flames. The house is also a total loss. They have literally lost everything.

Prior to moving to California, Neal taught at the high school in Minot, North Dakota for 18 years. He is currently a ski instructor for children and adults in California. He and his girlfriend also run a business in Paradise. The status of the business in unknown at this time.

Being displaced from your home is bad enough, holiday season or otherwise – it’s even worse when you know there is nothing left of that home or vehicles. It will take many thousands of dollars for Neal and his family to rebuild. Thank you for helping!