| 11.05.03 - Thousands of San Diegans have been forced from their homes because of last week’s wildfires that raged through the region.
People from numerous communities -- ranging from Scripps Ranch to Ramona, Alpine to Poway, Tierrasanta to Lakeside and points in between -- will be displaced for an extended period of time, some as long as two years, before being able to move back into a dwelling they can once again call home.
The physical toll on the families who lost almost everything has been devastating: at last count, more than 1,100 homes burned in the fires.
The emotional tally has been equally traumatic. In many instances, people had just minutes to grab an armful of important items before saying goodbye to all of their belongings, starting with the homes that were there personal sanctuaries.
Now, parents not only have to worry about where their children will sleep or eat, but even trying to prove their identity is an obstacle after so many personal documents were destroyed.
Nothing could ever completely replace what the victims of the fires have lost, but two Chargers did their best to ease their pain of the families for a little while by visiting the Disaster Relief Center in Alpine on Tuesday.
The center, which was set up by the County of San Diego in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is essentially a one-stop relief station for the families where they can begin to get assistance in several areas, from insurance information, to finding temporary housing, to receiving crisis counseling and more.
Local organizations including the American Red Cross, San Diego Gas & Electric, SBC Telephone Service and the Legal Aide Society have come together with FEMA to assist the fire victims in starting the long process of building their new lives.
The players, wide receiver Kassim Osgood and defensive tackle Dequincy Scott, witnessed the hardship suffered by the families up close while visiting the center. Osgood and Scott handed out food, beverages and clothes while the victims waited for assistance.
“As we were driving here, the devastation was visible and seeing it first-hand puts the loss these families have suffered in perspective,” said Osgood, who has local ties after playing at San Diego State. “They put so much into their homes and now it’s all gone. It’s really sad to know that all these people here have lost everything. I’m here to try to get their minds off all the loss they’ve endured, even if it’s for a couple minutes.”
Diana Francis, co-director of the center, appreciated Osgood and Scott taking the time to offer their assistance.
“The center opened last Saturday. We’ve had quite a rush of people the first couple of days and it has been pretty steady since,” said Francis. “We’ve had lots of people coming in to volunteer and offering their help and support for these folks. It’s been pretty amazing.”
“It’s really disappointing to see all of these people here that have lost their homes. We were on the way here and seeing all those homes burned down was disheartening. They lost everything,” said Scott. “For us to come out here and put a smile on their face was reassuring, and for them to still be able to smile back brought a lot of happiness to us. It’s encouraging to see that they haven’t lost hope. I really appreciate all the people from FEMA helping everybody here out. I really believe that things are going to work out well for the families here.”
Osgood and Scott brought along towels that were meant to be given away at the Chargers home game against the Miami Dolphins on Monday, Oct. 27. Because of the safety issues involved with the fires, and because Qualcomm Stadium was being used as an evacuation center at the time, the game was relocated to Tempe, Arizona.
The towels were a small gesture on the part of the Chargers, but one that went a long way.Kris Rowson from Cedar Creek was one of the first to see the fire coming towards her neighborhood, but was powerless to stop it.
“Our house did burn down. This is going to be the first towel for our new house we build,” said Rowson. “Seeing the Chargers here has really been a ray of light. Everyone has been just wonderful. The loss of a house is difficult, but we have all of our family intact. We are all safe and sound.
“It’s the goodness of the people that makes me emotional. It’s wonderful to see them come out and take the time to help people. Things like this lift your spirits and give you something to be positive about.”
“The community has been fantastic,” said former San Diego Mayor Maureen O’Connor, who was volunteering after two members of her immediate family lost homes. “It’s such a boost for the Chargers to come out. Kids have been coming up all day and asking when the Chargers were going to get here. I just think it’s wonderful that they took the time to come out and offer support. The community has really come together to help one another.”
David Neville contributed to this story | |
