Rose was five months pregnant and practically bed ridden as one of the California fires reached her home. She did what she could to gather her family of eight and evacuate, leaving behind everything they owned to burn.
Texans on Mission volunteers met Rose while she was dropping off her family’s clothes at a TXM laundry unit. She had been handwashing everything, but the pain in her hands made it nearly impossible for her to continue. In the fire’s aftermath, she and her family used clothing and toiletries from popup donation sites to get by.
“This whole experience has taught me so much,” Rose said. “It’s a lot of growing and learning — surviving. We're thankful that you guys are here,” she said about TXM volunteers.
Rose added that it is always possible to have hope in the midst of a setback.
The initial wave of TXM volunteers have returned home. Fire recovery is a long process and future deployments to California may be needed when access to the burned areas is granted and ash out and rebuild needs are identified.