Anna Alvarez is an in home care giver. She watched over an older couple in Fountaingrove taking care of them and their 10BR 6BA home. She lived where she worked so on the evening of October 8th she had just put her employers to bed and was settling down herself when she smelled smoke. Being asthmatic was making it rough on her. She went to the home owner and asked if he smelled smoke too. He said he did so she went to make sure things were OK. Looking out the window to the East she could see flames coming down the hill towards the home. She got the couple up and helped the woman downstairs. Having just gone through back surgery it was a long slow decent down two flights of stairs to the waiting car. Once she got them loaded she went back into the house to find the car keys but the power had gone out and she could not see except for the light of her cell phone. Luckily she found them in the low light.
They had to drive through flames on Fountaingrove Parkway in order to escape. She left in her nightgown and slippers with her purse. Everything else she owned was destroyed. As many Mexicans do, she saved her money and stored it in the home rather than a bank. She was saving to buy a home. She lost every last penny. She told me the first couple weeks were the worst with not being able to sleep due to recurring nightmares. She also said that she has found that there are very generous people in this community. More than she had ever been aware of.
Anna is the Aunt of My Step-Daughters Boyfriend Jose who works at the Redwood Empire Food Bank where he is in charge of logistics. She has been staying off and on with various family members since the fire. Her employers rented a home in San Rafael but that is too far for her to commute so she is taking on new clients. Her gift from the auctions included $250.00 in gift cards from Ross Dress for Less, $500.00 in gift cards for Lola’s Mexican Market and $1,500.00 in cash. She must have said thank you 30 times but the hug I got said much more. She was excited to be able to buy a bed and some new clothes. She gave many more thanks to everyone responsible for the funding of her needs.
Good job folks!
#SonomaStrong #BerserkerStrong ![[berserker.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/8/8600bbd4810d342b8fbd4ffb62b4f0026275fd37.gif "berserker"){kind=small}
Anna and Jose