Right now, let's say good morning to the director of Disaster Services for Dream Center, La Clint. Carlton Clint, So, thanks so much for getting up early and talking to us this morning. It's been just over a month since the wildfires. The Dream Center has been key in getting aid to people affected by the fires. So tell us where we're at now and then we'll talk about where we're going.
Oh, we're in their recovery phase right now. I sat on Friday. I sat in a room full of people from all different walks of life. As the Dream Center, thanks to our partners iHeartRadio, KFI Radio, we were able to give ten thousand dollars checks to six different families. And the thing is, these people were all walks of life. They're retired, some were doctors, some were car salesmen, all different walks of life, and just hearing the stories of how they're coping.
Uh.
One was a was an er doctor and because of the PTSD, she hasn't made it back to work yet. And and you just during this recovery phase, you just sit here and you listen as they have closure, but
but as as you hear them out. I mean, she's an er doctor and she says, every time she hears the sirens, it just it takes her back to that night where she was rushing home from the hospital to get to her family, because, let me tell you something, she she told her her dad or her husband to take the pets and take the kids to her parents' house, which they live in Altadene as well, but they were never in a fire zone. And so she told me, now, take take the take the animals over there, take the
kids over there, and I'll meet you guys there. And on her way, they're getting evacuated, you know, her parents are getting evacuated. So it hits so many of these families and it's very, uh, it's sad with the stories you're hearing. And but you know, thanks to you guys, we've been able to give out almost two million dollars to families and that and that is monetary gifts. Two million dollars of families that have been affected.
Yeah, and that's and that's like, you know, a five thousand dollar check or or a ten thousand or maybe even less than that, but just something to help them just to kind of start thinking about starting over, knowing that this is just the very very first steps.
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, and it's it's where they're getting into their apartments. You know, these these shelters are closing now, so they're they're faced with these life decisions and saying, Okay, where are you going to live? And and what I've seen is and this is what I see with with all the different hurricanes that I'm involved with, is the families and the people that live in these towns, they want to be as close as they can to where
it happens. So so these families want to get too altered, whether it be sit a restaurant all day long, or or sit at a family's house all day long, or or a part they want to be close to to these areas. And that's I'm working with, you know, the City eleven Foundation on the Palistad side to bring back
their public spaces quickly. And if if we can't get them back in the in the Palistades quick we're trying to get them as close to the Palistaates in Brentwood are different areas, so we're working on that area, uh, to bring back the public spaces, but also in the Altadena area t help these families, you know, rebuild their their mindset as well.
Yeah, and so do you. Because we've talked before, Clint that there are four stages of recovery. You just said, we're we're in recovery now. But so there was the rescue is the first one, and then what's the next one?
Ye, the rescue, the release, and then the recovery and then and then the rebuild is the final stage, and and uh, you know, and and then that's what that's what we're dealing with too. Is obviously we deal with the county and the state, uh in federal for the Alta dentifier where uh e PA is coming in pulling out the you know, uh the big debris that they can of these houses. We're still in in different areas going through the ashes, do a personal propertycovery and and
sifting through the ashes for the residents in Altadena. But then in the Polisades, we're dealing with the city. We're dealing with the county of the state in federal. So, uh, the fires are two different animals. Uh. For a disaster, you have a lot of people that that want to be involved, uh, that that have you know, want to have their say.
Uh.
And so I feel like right now the Altadena fier is a little bit easier for us to get around to to help these families out to have closure, you know, and and they're you know, obviously I just heard you know, the e p A is working to get the debris into different areas. So so they're starting that process in Alta Dina right now.
Okay, So Clint, knowing that we just have a couple of seconds off, do you still need donations of physical items or is that on pause for now?
No, we'll still take donations. They can drop them off from nine to noon at the Dream Center because we also have a store that's open every day that's Relief Resource Center from three pm to seven pm Monday through Friday, and then from nine am to noon on Saturday. So if the piece of somebody was affected by the fire and they need clothing, they need any supplies, we have that at the Dream Center. But you can also continue to drop off donations, okay in the address.
I know it's on Bellflower is it twenty three.
Oho three two three zero one Bellevue Avenue two three zero one Bellevue Avenue. It's the one on one in Alvorado. You're right, you're good, two.
Three zero one Bell View Avenue.
View Avenue, YEP one on one in Alvarado. That's a cross streets.
Okay, perfect, And monetary donations.
Monetary donations, you know, they can go to dreamcenter dot org to donate Dreamcenter dot org and and we have a fire relief tab on there where to go straight to the fire victims. And we can't thank you enough for your voice.
Well can thank you enough for everything that you're doing, Carlton, the director of Disaster Services for dream Center LA, doing such important work. And like you just mentioned, this isn't going away. I know that it's not in the headlines as much anymore, but this is We're in this for the long haul. So anything you can do as much appreciated. Thanks Clint,