Camp Fire - Magalia
Magalia Pines Baptist Church
The fire was not going to stop anytime soon. This time she was unforgiving, she did not care who was in her path, she just kept devouring everything. My Strike Team had already been at the Camp Fire in Paradise for a couple weeks at this point. But today it was pouring rain. What a good day, rain, finally to help combat this horrible fire, hopefully the storm will extinguish all her anger and all her glory. As my team gathered for another morning run, we received our tags. This time we were doing a supply run. All feed and supply runs had been shut down previously. It was Thanksgiving week and the County had decided to let everyone go home for the break. HYH, along with one other small evac group, had decided we were not leaving. There were still people and animals that needed supplies and help.
So we did just that. We loaded up our trucks and headed behind the fire lines. We had been to the Magalia area before but this time it was to the Magalia Pines Baptist Church. I remember driving through so much smoke and fog we could not see the utility or first responder trucks in front of us. Everything was gone- fully burnt to the ground. Only a few structures here and there stood that the fire had left. Then there she was, almost with a glow around her, the Church-untouched, clean, and beautiful. Buildings and cars burnt everywhere around her, but she stood there, beautiful and strong, in the pouring rain and smoke. We met Pastor Doug, who at that time, I did not know had also lost his own home. But rumor had already quickly spread of what he had done- a miracle! He had opened the doors to his church and saved the many lives that ran to his church for protection as the fire engulfed the property and the town. They were alive because he opened the doors to this beautiful church. After all he had been through he welcomed us with hugs and smiles. That day I felt a connection to Pastor Doug and his Church. HYH promised to bring supplies, feed and food to the Church as long as we could, and for as long as they are needed.
To date HYH has brought over $70,000 in feed, supplies and food to the Camp Fire survivors and to the Church. Most of our supply runs go directly to their church. HYH usually only brings supplies to those in need directly and personally, but we were so touched by Pastor Doug and his Church, and all their work, we knew how much he is making a difference in this town, Magalia, which has been forgotten. They are not receiving the support that the other towns are or the publicity. We still have people living in cars and tents and it is snowing! It’s freezing! There are still animals out there, with no owners or homes, cold and alone. But thanks to our followers and donors, we can continue our work and help the Camp Fire survivors of Magalia. But we need your help, one truck bed of dog or cat food, costs us about $2000. This adds up quickly. We caravan to save fuel and time, trying to bring as much as we can each trip. However, the Church runs out as soon as we drop supplies.
Take a moment and picture this...... You wake up, lock your home up and go to work, only to return home ad there is nothing. Nothing. It’s all gone. All your pictures, clothes, your memories-everything. You left work when you heard it was your neighborhood on fire. Now what, now where do you go, you have nothing. Your place of employment just burnt down; now you cannot even go to work to make money to live on because there is no job. Where do you sleep, how do you pay for it? The shelters are closed, and the hotels that are not full, have raised their prices and you are running low on funds. Your pets? Where are they? Your home is gone. Are they alive, warm, and safe? After three and a half months nothing has changed. You do not have the funds to start over. Red tape and the County are at a standstill and now you are being told you cannot live in a trailer on your own property while this is going on. Now it is pouring rain and the snow is on its way. You look around what once was a beautiful community, now as far as you can see, is a field of rubble and broken dreams. The reporters and news trucks are gone, most of the help is gone, shelters gone. Just you, your family and rubble. Your dreams. your future and your memories are gone. Everyone there is now stuck-stuck in a horrible never ending nightmare. Can you imagine waking up every day in a tent, trying to keep warm, only to step outside to see nothing but burnt dreams as far as you can see. Now what?
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One more meal...
One more animal...
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