Survivor Shell Shock

And links that might help in the LA wildfires.

I had a newsletter planned… and then the LA wildfires happened. I’ll get to it later.

So far my home is safe, we got power back today, and the water is good to drink. We will see what happens when the winds pick back up this weekend and on Tuesday, since we are just below evacuation lines, but it is okay for now. Many thanks to the many people who offered me shelter and help!

My old neighborhood in Altadena pretty much burnt to the ground and so many friends have lost everything they had. The air is awful and the RSV I got two weeks ago is not improving quickly. PLEASE use KN-95 or better masks out there and use steam to clear our your lungs- a lot has burnt, and many of the places that did had plastics and asbestos and who knows what all in them.

I can offer folks fresh filtered water, since many of our neighbors can’t use theirs due to contamination in the water treatment facilities. We also have a LOT of windfall avocados. Get in touch if you need either thing.

I am in shock and in mourning, but I am here and and alive and grateful I can help spread good information, since there’s a lot of miserable nonsense going on around about LA. Stop that, please. The truth is bad enough. According to Katie Stubblefield (thanks for this):

“The rumors are exhausting. Let me help.

1. The federal response is great

2. The governor is doing a wonderful job

3. The mayor is on top of this

4. If this was arson, both it and climate change can both be the cause of this nightmare.

5. We are better lifting each other up than tearing each other down.

6. You can get accurate real-time fire information with the Watch Duty app.” (Can verify, Watch Duty is awesome, and if you have it to spare these volunteers are doing amazing work.)

Also, LA housing prices are obscene. Don’t use that as some kind of gotcha metric. We are dealing with that here everyday and most of us (myself included) can barely manage rent.

On to links and information for wildfire help…

-Super helpful links from Mutual Aid LA.

-LA Artists, sign up here if you are able to help with temporary housing, storage, clean up, and/or paperwork and info relating to insurance claims.

-Mask Bloc LA is handing out masks to help with the smoke- and of course disease prevention!

-Hollywood Food Coalition is continuing their terrific work in keeping folks fed.

Great links and advice from Elizabeth Aquino.

-Terrific information from a wildfire veteran on navigating insurance and other claims.

-Good advice from another fire veteran- thank you, Leah Knecht!- on managing insurance claims and dealing with debris/clean up after the fires. It’s super toxic ash out there, my friends. Seriously.

-These are lists of Go Fund Mes for the many folks who have lost everything in the Eaton and Palisades fires from Renee Reizman and Rachel Davies. I have not verified these personally (there are too many) but I know several ones from the Eaton fire that are valid and that I’ve seen cross referenced in other lists. It is always worth checking to make sure. If you know of other ones, please help out and add them to the list!

And for the love of all things good, do not force toxic positivity on folks. When your friends and coworkers have lost everything, it is profoundly unhelpful to tell them that their feelings and their things don’t matter. Let them feel how they feel and see what you can do to help.

Be careful out there, my friends. Love you.

XO Laura