Hello friends, my name is Kelsi Epps. As all of you know, the Camp Fire has devastated Paradise and surrounding areas. The mass of destruction is shocking. The families that are suffering is astronomical, and I wish I could help all of them. The Patrich and Schwab family are not only amazing people, but they are close to my heart also. Ryan's (my boyfriend) sister, her husband, and their three children lost everything. They lost their home, their cats, and Danielle (mom) lost her job. Danielle was the manager at The Depot Restaurant. They had just re-opened after being closed for 15 months because of a fire. This family has not caught a break.

The day of the fire Danielle was taking her middle child, Layla, to school and decided to turn around and exit the parking lot of the school because she had a bad feeling about what would ensue. They ended up heading home and packing a very small amount of items. They attempted to retrieve their family cats, but were unsuccessful. They left their home around 9:00am. Their road of Elliot was already backed up for miles. Danielle turned around to see a 100 foot wall of fire coming toward her and her family.  There was essentially no cell service. When they were finally almost to skyway they were routed onto Neal road. While they were on Neal they were in serious danger. Danielle watched as people were abandoning their cars and running for their lives. There was fire only a couple feet from their vehicle. They were eventually routed out to Durham. It took them 10 hours to get to safety in Chico.

The funds will be used for the basic needs of this family, clothing, housing, furniture, food, and diapers. Right now, the thought of rebuilding is unforeseeable. This family is just looking to get back on their feet enough to provide a space where their children feel safe and comfortable.

Anything really does help. Thank you.