Chris and Kat live just north of Santa Cruz, California. They lost their home and most of their belongings in the recent fires. To make matters worse, three of their kids also lost their homes in the fires.
We’ve Been Camping for the Past 8 Days
Last week I left home to go camping. We had a fire in the local mountains about 30 miles from our house. The air quality here was poor. So much smoke that it cut our solar panel output by nearly 50%.
It seemed much of California was on fire, but it all seemed so far away . . .
So often, disasters, like wildfires, tornadoes, or hurricanes are impersonal. They are news items. Many of us donate to relief organizations such as the Red Cross, or give direct aid via GoFundMe or similar funding sites, to help out. We happily help strangers, but they are often still strangers who live far away after we give.
Bad, Bad News
Yesterday, the fires became personal.
My good friend Katharina and her family are now homeless.
Yesterday I drove into a nearby town near our campground to get some supplies and found out the bad news. At the time there wasn’t much I could do. But another of my good friends, Doug Ide, could do something. Doug started a GoFundMe campaign, and in less than 9 hours the initial goal of $10,000 was raised. Most of the money came from members of the community at BackpackingLight.com. Here is the link to the thread Doug started. Kat is a long-time member of BackpackingLight and the generosity of the membership is truly heartwarming.
I first met Kat a few years ago on a group backpacking trip. We’ve become good friends and I’ve spent time at her home with her husband Chris, who like me is a mechanic. I have a lot in common with both of them.
Kat has become well known as an amateur zoologist, placing trail cameras in the foothills behind her cabin. Those cameras are now gone along with their cabin. The wildlife has suffered too. Here is an article about her photography and videos that is well worth a read, along with some fabulous pictures.
Please read Kat’s story on the GoFundMe page, which Doug wrote.
Hopefully you can help out.