When I was 15, I woke in the middle of the night to the shrill sound of our home alarm blaring. At first, I thought someone had broken in, but soon I heard frantic footsteps below. My dad's urgent voice called up the stairs, “Coco, there's a fire in the house! Get downstairs and to the front door now.”
Terrified, I scrambled down from my third-floor bedroom to find my family gathering at the front door. Together, we rushed outside and stood on the lawn, watching as flames consumed parts of our home. Sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder until firefighters arrived. I remember sitting on the hood of a police car, wrapped in a blanket with my sister, watching in disbelief as flames licked the second-floor windows of our family home.
When the fire was finally out, we stepped back inside to assess the damage. From the outside, the house looked almost untouched, but the inside told a different story. My parents' bedroom wing—complete with a home office, dressing room, and bathroom—was gutted to the studs. Smoke and water damage marred the rest of the house. My parents lost every piece of clothing they owned, along with countless irreplaceable treasures, including two beautiful portraits of my sister and me at age six.
The rebuilding process was long, emotional, and deeply humbling. To this day, the sound of an alarm still sets my heart racing.
When Community Matters Most
Over the past two weeks, like many of you, I've watched in horror as wildfires have ravaged communities in California, destroying homes and displacing families. These fires don't just consume buildings—they shatter lives, memories, and the sense of security that comes with having a place to call home.
Yes, a house is just a structure of walls and a roof, but it holds our lives within it. It's where we make memories, weather life's storms, and feel most ourselves. Losing that sanctuary in an instant is unmooring in ways that are hard to describe—it's a disorienting experience.
If you're feeling helpless and want to make a difference, here are two vetted organizations providing critical support to displaced families in Los Angeles. Every contribution helps rebuild not just homes but also lives. Your support can make a meaningful difference in helping them rebuild their lives and recover what was lost.
Our homes may be fragile structures, but the communities we create around them are resilient. Together, we can offer hope to those who need it most.
