Neighbors and friends who had been scattered by the Mountain Fire gathered Wednesday at the Yarrow Family YMCA in Westlake Village to receive relief in the form of toys, food, clothes and funds.
"I actually learned about it on the news when I saw my house on fire," said Terrie Morin, 60, referencing the Nov. 6 fire that destroyed her home on Old Ranch Road in Camarillo.
One of dozens of fire victims to attend the Westlake Village distribution, she traveled from her daughter's Long Beach home where she and her husband have been staying since the blaze. Morin had heard about the event after receiving an email and a call from event organizers with California Strong, a program offered by the Southeastern Ventura County YMCA.
California Strong helps people throughout the state who have gone through disasters. This time it was for the Mountain Fire, which devastated over 130 structures and burned through nearly 20,000 acres in Ventura County in early November.
Angela Berrett, 55, said she and her husband Steve Berrett, 71, also received an email about the event and initially passed it over, but a subsequent call by the event organizers brought them out.
"We've gotten a lot of emails from insurance after the fire," she said.
The couple lost their Camarillo Heights home of 29 years during the fire and now live in a rental in Camarillo while they wait for insurance to kick in.
"Insurance takes a while to pay out," said Mike Attanasio, a California Strong founder. "We're just trying to get people relief and to get them the bare necessities to get them back on their feet."
California Strong contacted 152 families to receive $1,000 checks each. They estimated that at least 75% of the families would arrive to the in-person event while the rest would be sent their checks at a later date.
The YMCA's multipurpose room was lined Wednesday with tables full of clothing and toys and volunteers helping. Local businesses Board & Brew, a Westlake Village specialty sandwich shop, offered free sandwiches and workers from Simi Valley toy store Entertainment Earth handed out out free toys ahead of the holidays.
Attanasio, along with professional athletes who call Southern California their home, partnered with YMCA President Ronnie Stone in 2018 to create the relief effort.
They started California Strong after the 2018 Woolsey Fire, which swept through the Conejo Valley and ravaged the Malibu community they call home. They kept the project going, helping survivors of the Borderline shooting in Thousand Oaks in 2018 and the Camp Fire in Northern California the same year.
Attanasio works for Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Brewers as vice president of fan engagement. Also, in attendance at the event was fellow California Strong founder and retired Brewers left fielder, Ryan Braun. A fellow California native, he also saw his community devastated by the Woolsey Fire.
"One of the founders lives right down the street from Pepperdine (University)," said Attanasio referring to the Franklin Fire that forced Malibu residents to evacuate Tuesday morning. "He had about seven firetrucks in his driveway the other day."
California Strong is no stranger to disasters, and their members intend to keep the project going to help their neighbors whenever the need arises.
Sign-ups for Mountain Fire victims who have lost their homes and want to receive assistance are still open. Register at www.californiastrong.org.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at [email protected]