On Wednesday, January 8, my dear friends lost their beautiful home in the Eaton Fire that has devastated Southern California. Kelli and Tim Lamb moved to Altadena in the spring of 2021 after purchasing their first home. It was meant to be their “forever home,” a place they had been saving for over a decade. They’ve spent the last 3 years remodeling the hundred-year-old house and put their heart and soul into creating a peaceful sanctuary and a welcoming place for their many visitors.

They safely evacuated with their cat Leonard on Tuesday, January 7, in the evening. They packed as if they were only going to be gone for the night and they would return home once out of harm’s way. Unfortunately, this is not the case. They have been able to assess the damage, and tragically they have lost everything: twenty years of Tim’s art and all of his supplies, Kelli’s office where she created each issue of Rue, family heirlooms, their collected souvenirs from their many travels around the world. More urgently, they lost all of their clothes, their daily necessities, and will need to find a temporary place to live.

They would never usually ask for help, but these are catastrophic and extenuating circumstances. Given the magnitude of the damage these fires have ravaged and continue to ravage, there is a lot unknown.

If you could please donate whatever you can to assist them during this trying time, it would be much appreciated. To lose a home is unimaginable, and to lose a home filled with all of your sentimental and irreplaceable items is the ultimate devastation.

With love and so much gratitude.