Home Australia Kind-hearted homelessness campaigner is now living on streets himself after wildfires burned his home

Kind-hearted homelessness campaigner is now living on streets himself after wildfires burned his home

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Anthony Ruffin and his wife Jonni, both homeless advocates, said they lost

A kind anti-homelessness activist is now living on the streets after his family’s home was devastated by the Los Angeles wildfires.

Anthony Ruffin said he was left heartbroken after the home his father first bought in 1972 in a redlined area of ​​Altadena, California, was lost to the Eaton Fire this week.

The house he grew up in and later bought from his parents is among the more than 12,000 structures that have been leveled since the Los Angeles fires broke out a week ago, killing at least 24 people.

he told the Los Angeles Times that he and his wife Jonni Miller, who is also a social worker for the homeless community, were forced to evacuate their home on January 8, leaving behind a treasure trove of precious family heirlooms.

“It’s terrible,” she told the outlet through tears this week.

He previously worked for the charity Housing Works and currently works on Skid Row for the County Department of Health Services.

Ruffin became a well-known public servant in the area, checking on clients on weekends and evenings, helping countless people in California’s growing homeless community find housing.

However, after losing everything in the fires, Ruffin said he and his wife were already getting back to work helping those less fortunate than themselves.

“Today I have to meet with someone who is homeless and try to help them get housing,” he said. ‘I did that on Friday too. I have to help someone, every day… I have my own problems, but I am lucky.

‘Many of the people who live on Skid Row are dealing with addiction and homelessness and don’t have some of the resources that I have. I mean, I have a motel room right now and they don’t have it.

Anthony Ruffin and his wife Jonni, both homeless advocates, said they lost “every material possession” in the Los Angeles fires.

Ruffin said he was left heartbroken after the house his father first bought in 1972 (pictured) in a redlined area of ​​Altadena, California, was lost to the Eaton Fire this week.

Ruffin said he was left heartbroken after the house his father first bought in 1972 (pictured) in a redlined area of ​​Altadena, California, was lost to the Eaton Fire this week.

Ruffin and his wife created a GoFundMe this week to help rebuild their lives, but said they intend to share the funds with neighbors after their entire street was burned down.

He wrote on the fundraiser: ‘We have lost all our worldly possessions, including many family heirlooms.

‘We are lucky to have reached a safe place with our dog and one of our cats. Sadly, we lost a cat and two of our chickens in the fire, as well as our house.

‘My father bought my house in 1972 on that side of Altadena because African Americans were only allowed to live on that side. With a low-paying job and hard work, my father was able to get that house.

“I don’t want to lose the house my parents worked so hard for.”

He said losing the house a week ago was heartbreaking as he “worked two jobs to keep that property, because I knew how much it meant to my family.”

“We really spruced up the house and got it looking really decent.”

He said his mother and stepfather, now aged 76 and 83, were “devastated” to hear the house burned to the ground, and said they “can’t stop crying.”

In a Facebook post this week sharing the fundraiser, Ruffin’s wife, Jonni, said her family had been “trying to deal with this tragedy privately” but admitted that “we are human and we need help.”

‘We would be happy to receive any support and love you can send our way…whether it’s $5, prayers or positive vibes. With all my heart, thank you.’

Even after losing everything in the fires, Ruffin said he and his wife were already getting back to work helping those less fortunate than themselves.

Even after losing everything in the fires, Ruffin said he and his wife were already getting back to work helping those less fortunate than themselves.

1736887212 438 Kind hearted homelessness campaigner is now living on streets himself after

“I have my own problems, but I’m lucky,” Ruffin said as he vowed to get back to work.

As the death toll rose to 24 in recent days, officials warned that the toll is expected to rise as crews struggle to access the smoldering remains of entire neighborhoods.

As the death toll rose to 24 in recent days, officials warned that the toll is expected to rise as crews struggle to access the smoldering remains of entire neighborhoods.

Experts warn that drought-like conditions and strong winds have created the perfect conditions for wildfires to break out and spread rapidly.

Experts warn that drought-like conditions and strong winds have created the perfect conditions for wildfires to break out and spread rapidly.

It comes as Los Angeles was placed under an unprecedented wind warning amid fears gusts of 70mph could unleash a new inferno.

The National Weather Service issued a fourth “particularly dangerous situation” warning that will go into effect at 4 a.m. Tuesday, warning that winds of up to 70 mph will last until noon Wednesday.

Large swaths of the bone-dry city are under Ventura’s new warning across much of the San Fernando Valley, while areas from San Diego to San Bernardino remain under conventional red flag warnings.

The fourth warning comes after the previous three this fire season wreaked havoc on the densely populated area, including the ongoing Palisades and Eaton fires that have become one of the deadliest in California history.

Much of the area around Malibu and Pacific Palisades is also under the new warning, where at least 24 people have died and more than 12,000 buildings have been destroyed in multiple fires.

Forecasters warn that unusual drought-like conditions have turned the city into a possible fire zone as strong winds develop.

The last significant rainfall in downtown Los Angeles occurred in May 2024, and only 0.16 inches of rain has fallen since Oct. 1, compared to a historical average of 5.34 inches at the time, LA reports Times.

Climatologist Bill Patzert told the outlet that “the last nine months have been one of the driest in the historical record dating back to 1900. During my career, I have never seen such severe events in Santa Ana that so overwhelmed the normal snow season. winter rains.”

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