Malibu fires spark outreach within SMMUSD community

On Thursday, Nov. 8, the Woolsey fire sparked and grew overnight to consume miles of earth, deeply affecting the lives of many Samo and Malibu High School students and staff members. In the wake of the fire, students and administrators in the SMMUSD district are rallying together to aid the Woolsey victims and help them recover from their losses, optimistic that they can unite to assist those in crisis.When the fire began, the cities of Topanga, Calabasas and Malibu, as well as different parts of Ventura County, were under mandatory evacuations. Residents hastily cleared their neighborhoods and abandoned their homes in order to escape from the oncoming flames, leaving behind all of their belongings. SMMUSD teachers and students were among the thousands of civilians who fled from the flames consuming their homes, including Samo physics teacher Ritva Lofstedt who had to evacuate from her Malibu home on Friday, Nov. 9.“[Our community is experiencing] destruction and devastation. Half of our neighborhood burned down and in the neighborhood around Malibu High, 80 percent of the homes were lost. The one nice thing is that when we evacuated, we got our passports, [photo albums] and our birth certificates. I have to say, obviously it would have been convenient to bring clothes but even when we thought our house had burned down, we haven’t regretted [not bringing anything]. We took each other and we took those things and we are fine,” Lofstedt said.Lofstedt and her family have yet to return to their home or see the damages their home suffered. They feel lucky, however, that a neighbor was able to inform them that their home is still standing and is not completely burned. Schools and institutions closer to the fire were evacuated and suspended as a precautionary means, including Samo’s sister high school, Malibu High School (MHS). Threatened by the roaring flames, MHS faced the real possibility of burning down, but narrowly escaped destructible damage, with only the field and a construction trailer minorly burned.The SMMUSD community is encouraging students and families to contribute to the relief efforts intended to support the victims from the fires. Superintendent Ben Drati addressed a letter to district staff and families addressing the current status of the Malibu schools, as well as providing information about different relief organizations. Drati mentioned the cooperation of the Boys and Girls Club of Malibu and Senator Stern’s office to raise money for the fire victims and the Malibu Fire Relief Website set up by the SMC Foundation. He also spoke about Roots & Wings, Family Service of Santa Monica and the City of Santa Monica Virginia Avenue Park, who are offering free counseling and resources to address the mental and physical health of the victims of the fires. The district is centering much of its focus on the emotional status and concern of those affected.Additionally, Samo is directly supporting MHS with the leadership of PTA president Danica Jameson. Jameson has organized the placement of collection bins at the 7th and Michigan entrance before school where students are encouraged to donate new consumables like toiletries, bed linens, feminine hygiene materials and grocery store gift cards to those displaced from the fires. Samo Principal Dr. Antonio Shelton believes that it is crucial to support MHS in their time of need in any way possible.“[The most important thing to do right now] is to demonstrate that we are not just saying ‘We are praying for you’, but actually acting. It’s not a financial thing, it’s more of a ‘How can we help you through the situation? How can we help to recreate memories that have been lost in the fire?’ Those are the important things,” Shelton said.Samo students are also among those involved, including Sophia Hume (’21), one of the students actively using her voice to spread awareness in an effort to provide for the victims of the fire. Alongside her family, Hume has hosted a clothing drive for victims of the Malibu fires, working around the clock to organize events geared towards supplying them with adequate clothing and household items. She has transferred all donations to a warehouse where they were distributed to victims. Hume believes that each event is making a difference and emphasizes how all contributions are appreciated.“At the event, victims of the fire could walk around the warehouse and pick out clothing, household items, and much more at no cost. There was a lot leftover so another event is going to be held at the Point Dume Club in the future. This event will help the community of Malibu because it shows that people outside of the city are here to help. The event allowed people to talk about their story and find people in the same situation,” Hume said.As the SMMUSD community moves on and faces their future after the Woolsey fire, every student and administrator is pitching in to help restore the community.