We arrived first thing Saturday morning. We drove through the town of Paradise on the way to the church and support center. The devastation from the wild fire was unbelievable. There were numerous crews out clearing trees on the lots in the town and residential areas, but what struck me immediately was the fire was over 5 months ago and they still have so far to go. It was simply horrific to see all the businesses, homes and lives destroyed. Everywhere you looked there were only chimneys, crumbling buildings and burnt out vehicles. Business signs where the only indication as to what was formally at each site.

When we pulled into the church parking lot there were several RVs and vehicles parked in the area. The church, facilities and parking lot served as home for families and others that have nowhere else to go. They have no family or place to stay. The church and parishioners provide a wide range of support to these folks and people in the community. The donations have been generous. They have food, clothing, toiletries and household items. Pam and Michael Cummings have been donating their time and support for months. They have refurbished and organized the church’s industrial kitchen. They helped to set up and organize the donation tents (huge level of effort). Pam uses her skills as a chef to make wonderful home cooked meals for survivors, volunteers and crews working in the area. Many of these folks rely on these meals, as there are no resources available locally. Pam makes enough so there are leftovers that they can take back to their trailers.

As volunteers over the weekend, we helped cook, clean, prepare, and serve the meals. We also helped with sorting and arranging all the donations. Donations were stored in several areas and needed to be consolidated, organized by type and arranged to help the survivors find the appropriate resources they needed. Additionally, a documentary film crew was coming the following week and so the grounds and church needed cleaning and tiding up. It was hard work, but very rewarding. We put in over 15,000 steps! The organizers, volunteers, and survivors were very kind and it was extremely rewarding to give back in a small way to people who have suffered so much. We hope to go back again to help.

Julia R. Halsne

See photo gallery below