To the editor: After receiving an evacuation notice and leaving my home behind, many friends asked what I took with me on such short notice. It’s actually surprising how little you need.
I suggest having a small “go bag” that you can easily grab and throw in your car. Pack that bag with your IDs, birth certificates, passports, credit cards and cash, along with travel-sized toiletries, underwear, one change of clothes, coats, pajamas, flashlights and pet food. If you have little ones, include a favorite stuffed animal and a book or tablet.
I have also been asked, “What can I do? How can I help?” My answer: Send cash.
If you personally know someone told to evacuate, they’ll need it. Some people may need it for a hotel room or takeout; those who can return home will need to restock groceries. I think food and clothing donations are OK, but providing cash is the best option. People will get exactly what they want and need, rather than taking items that make them feel like anything will do.
Regarding communication, it was wonderful to receive so many messages of concern. But it was also overwhelming, especially when people wanted updates. In this situation, it is a miracle for evacuees to put one foot in front of the other.
My advice is to designate one person to whom you provide updates. That person can take on the responsibility of reaching out to your friends and family, while you can spend most of your time wrapping your head around what just happened.
Sharon Griffin, Pasadena
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To the editor: I have a friend who lost her house, her neighborhood, everything she owned except her car. To my great relief, she was able to return my calls Sunday morning. She and her teenage daughter were waiting in a long line of cars at the Santa Anita racetrack to receive donations of clothing.
I am moved by the poignant irony of that scene.
Thirty years ago, my husband and I lived in San Gabriel. A neighbor of Japanese ancestry told me that her mother, who also lived nearby, had never been to the Santa Anita mall because she couldn’t stomach the site of the adjacent racetrack where she and many other Japanese Americans were incarcerated, in horse stalls, until they were transported to faraway camps.
The Santa Anita racetrack has hosted the best and worst of human impulses. Given the renewed demand for detention camps coming from some in Washington, I hope the forces of compassion and generosity at Santa Anita today will prevail.
Nan Hutcheon, Danville, Calif.
