Wildfire Relief:
Ways You Can Help

Pray

We have all asked ourselves what we could do in the face of the catastrophic fires which destroyed our neighborhoods. Let’s start praying communally. Every Thursday at 12:00 noon we lay down our current work for a few moments and pray as God directs us. The Thursday noon reminder email will include a short prayer, poem or thought to get us started that day.

  • Dear Friend,

    We have all asked ourselves what we could do in the face of the catastrophic fires which destroyed our neighborhoods. Let’s start praying communally. Every Thursday at 12:00 noon we lay down our current work for a few moments and pray as God directs us. We pray for the victims of the fires; the neighbors who have lost everything, the children whose schools burnt down, the people in retirement homes who are displaced and need care. We pray for everyone who has tried to stop the fires and lift up all who are helping to rebuild our communities.

    Prayer is a powerful tool. A great example is Jaqueline de Decker who prayed for Mother Teresa. For health reasons Ms. de Decker had to leave India and return to Belgium. She was not able to do the strenuous work Mother Teresa did in India, but she was able to support her with prayers. In a letter from 1953 Mother Teresa told Jaqueline that these prayers were giving her the courage to continue her work. She called Jaqueline her spiritual sister and her “second self.”

    So let us stand together, praise the Lord, and pray for God’s mercy during these trying times.

    I will send out a weekly reminder to anyone who wants to sign up for a weekly communal prayer. The reminder will include a short prayer, poem or thought to get us started that day.

    I hope you will be able to join us,

    Gabriele Bahnam

Walk Alongside Others

Here are some key questions to you can use when caring for others:

  • What happened?

  • How do you feel?

  • What is the hardest part for you?

  • Can I pray for you?

Remember, this is not the time to preach to people or try to spiritualize what or why this tragedy happened. Instead, follow the Holy Spirit's lead. He is the Comforter and is ready to release comfort to and through you.

  • 1) Don’t assume you know what they need or want. Find out what they need and work to meet those needs. Resist any urges to help yourself feel better because you’re “doing something.”

    2) Don't offer support that requires them to be somewhere at a specific time. They are living each day as it comes and while your offer to bring dinner at 7pm on Thursday is generous, they don't know where they'll be at 7pm or whether they'll be interested in dinner. 

    3) Don't ask them for the specifics. What did you lose is the worst question you can ask. 

    4) Whatever you do, don't ask to see pictures of their burnt down home and don't visit their burnt property unless you're specifically invited. This is extremely painful—like looking at a dead carcass of your memories.  

    5) The worst question and comments are those that somehow imply they could've done more. For example, don't casually mention "my friends in Altadena hosed down their house and their house was spared." or "My friends just cleared the brush from their house last year so their house is fine." 

    6) Don't tell them about other people who have it worse. Their pain is their own. Your compassion comes from listening, not telling.

    7) Don't "look on the positive" to them. Don't say "at least you're all safe. That's more important than things." That implies they don't already know that. Believe me, they do!

    8) Don’t add to their grief. When I told one friend my house had burned, she broke down sobbing and I had to console her. This is not the time to break down about your grief in their loss.

    9) Don't tell them that this loss is the universe/God telling them something. If this is your belief, hold it to yourself. No one going through this wants to hear someone else interpret what the universe/God is telling them or that there is a lesson you think they need to learn. 

    10) The natural tendency is to try to learn from what happened by asking detailed questions that will keep us safe in the future. Don't do that. Don't ask if they evacuated on time or their smoke alarms went off or if they hosed down their house. Simply tell them you are grateful they are safe. You are there for them, whatever they need. And let them tell you their story when they're ready. The most wonderful thing someone did for me — something I'll never forget — is to bring me a cup of tea and stand with me quietly. 

Give

There are a lot of ways to give. We encourage you to support long-term assistance via the ARDF:

Anglican Relief and Development Fund has a very low overhead and is working directly with Anglican congregations most impacted by the fires. ARDF functions like a long-term case manager, sticking with families over the long haul. Pooling donations from many people, ARDF can leverage financial resources and target areas of greatest need.

Serve

Habitat for Humanity is now beginning to help people rebuild their homes. We have the opportunity to partner with other local churches to rebuild the home of one particular family. The actual physical labor will probably occur over a 3-4 day period in September or October. We are not yet sure how much help will be needed with non-physical labor or light physical labor roles.

If you’re interested, please email us. This is not a commitment, but it helps us assess the level of assistance we can give. If you email us your interest, you will get more information as it is available.