By: Nita Robertson AIFD
I thought running my flower shop during the pandemic was hard, but adding a wildfire to my area was the ultimate test. It has been a horrific fire season on the west coast.
I was evacuated from my home in the Santa Cruz Mountains for almost three weeks. With my husband, children, and cat, we fled our home at almost midnight after receiving an immediate evacuation call. I grabbed my wedding ring, AIFD pin, some files and a few pictures. Ash was falling and the night sky glowed orange. We headed to the flower shop to bunker down for the night. Oh, that was fun! By the next morning over half of my delivery zone was undeliverable. They evacuated over 60 thousand people from our area.
I was fortunate to return to my home weeks later, where many did not. It is a life changing experience for a community, but there is always light that comes out of the darkness. For me the silver lining is the way community is coming together. People are reaching out and helping each other the way we should always be. I want to thank all fire fighters and first responders that help us through these times of crisis. I am forever grateful! True heroes.
The fires have affected many of our members in many different ways: bad air quality, evacuations, insurance claim fun, loss of homes and more.
Mandie Miller AIFD, one of our Northwest AIFD Members, has been through the worst of it. She lost her home in the Paradise fire over a year ago and was rebuilding her life in Oregon. She has now lost her home in Oregon due to the recent fire. If you can help her in any way she can use our support. No one should have to go through losing his or her home twice! We surround her with love and strength. Her go fund me page is https://www.gofundme.com/f/2nd-time-fire-victims
If you have been devastated by fire, hurricane or other damage, the AIFD Foundation has created the AIFD Catastrophic Fund to establish “A Cornerstone of Care.” If you need assistance, the fund offers grants to help florist in a timely manner. Apply on AIFD Foundation website’s grant application page, the grant is titled “AIFD Foundation Natural Disaster Assistance Grant Application.”
