Clovis food stand raises $1,000 for two Altadena families with Valley ties
Dozens of people stopped by a pop-up kitchen to support the members of a local family who lost their homes to the wildfires.
CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- Leslie Ramirez and her husband Saul Velasquez are picking up the pieces after the Eaton Fire in Altadena ravaged their family home.
A charred frame and a Yeti tumbler are all that is left.
"It's heartbreaking," Ramirez said.
"There's nothing left. There's no schools. There's no businesses. So many people have been displaced."
Five minutes away, the Eaton Fire tore through the home of Leslie's cousin and her husband.
It burned the tools of the family's landscaping business.
"It is sad that we work so hard for all our things, and it's gone in like a blink of an eye," Velasquez said.
In need of a hand, the couple's family in Clovis sprang into action on Friday.
Jose Aparicio and his son Carlos hosted what they called "Tacos for a Cause," putting family in the family business that is Charlie's Tacos and Catering.
"We come from a big family and during times like this, you know, you want to lean on or support your family, so we came together and planned a pop-up day to raise some funds to help them out," Carlos said.
The father and son served up dozens of tacos, quesadillas, and burritos to anyone who stopped by to show their support.
Gladys Guerrero was one of them.
"They sent out our firefighters. People are going to do what they can, especially local people," Guerrero said. "But we're so far away, what really can we even do? So, when I see someone local that's trying to raise money for their family, I'm going to come out here and support."
Support, she did. Guerrero, like many other customers, left behind a generous cash donation.
"It's not much, honestly," Guerrero said. "It's just a few bucks that I had left over, but I think it's going to help them much more than it's going to help me."
The food stand raised more than a thousand dollars in just six hours.
"We're just trying to do our part to help the ones closest to us," Carlos said.
All the money will now go to his two family members in need.
We're going to use it towards housing," Ramirez said. We need to find somewhere to live on a more permanent basis."
If you want to help those devastated by the fires, Meathead Movers is accepting donated items at its Central California locations through the weekend.
Clovis Unified is also raising money for the Red Cross at the Reyburn Gym Saturday afternoon.
For news updates, follow Gabe Ferris on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
