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I lost my childhood home in the 1991 Oakland hills fire when I was in my early 20’s. I was the only one home at the time and it started on our block, so I had no time to get anything out of the house but the clothes on my back. So, I’ll emphasize number 12 as one of the most important points on the list. As long as you are insured, the only things you really miss are the things that can’t be replaced. In our case it was slides and photos of when we were kids and of grandparents, great grandparents, etc. And mementos like concert t-shirts and such. If you are a relative and have old photos, consider having them digitized and printed, and give an album to the ones who lost their home. My sister (in her own place by then) collected photos from relatives and made my mom and I each an album like this (not digital then so it was a bit more work!) and it’s literally the only photos I have of myself growing up that I can share with my kids. It’s weird in a way, my wife has boxes of childhood treasures she can show the kids, and I have just one small album, but I think it means that much more because it’s all I have. If you are a friend, and shared experiences with the person who lost the home, and you have some keepsakes from those times together, that would be an amazing gift. I mentioned concert t-shirts, and I had a friend at work who had a connection with a well known musician who was able to score me a few old shirts. I still have them to this day and treasure them as one of the few reminders of those good times. Also, about #5, bringing food. Please ask first! Food tends to be a popular way to help, but it can actually get overwhelming. We had so much in our freezer at one point we had to ask people to stop bringing it. Plus, you don’t necessarily know peoples tastes or what they are really craving for comfort. I think restaurant gift cards would be a better choice. Hardly any storage needed and it lets the family choose what they really want. Or, as mentioned in number 7, invite the affected people over for a meal! In the beginning they are probably in a hotel room until insurance helps with a more permanent place and it is nice to get out for a night. Otherwise, this is a good, timely article with the fire in Colorado. My heart goes out to those families as I’ve been through it and it sucks. |