Malibu families struggling to recover after the Woolsey Fire are receiving support from the “Adopt-a-Family” project of “Malibu Love.”
The program was the brainchild of homemaker and mom Tahia Hocking. Website founder, Kelly Wirht, a web designer who grew up in Malibu, and local Shayna Spreckman helped make it happen.
Visit malibulove.org/families-in-need to see all the families listed and donate.
The requirement for a family to sign up is that they must have lost their home in the Woolsey Fire. Families are vetted by providing a FEMA claim number; pictures of their damaged property and a cross check of addresses with the City of Malibu website listing damaged/total loss properties.
The Krawczyk family
The Krawczyk family—Jon; Deanna (DeeDee); Jak, 16; and Georgia, 14—lost their home of 20 years on Latigo Road in the Woolsey Fire, along with the income from two rental units that also burned down. Jon and DeeDee not only lived on the property, but also worked on the property. Jon, an acclaimed fine arts metal sculptor who has exhibited in galleries and done a number of recent, large-scale public art installations, lost his work studio. DeeDee lost her home office for DPA Fine Art Consulting.
“We lost our sweet, humble and cherished home; a beloved cat; Jon’s studio; my office; and two rental units with very special people who became family to us,” wife DeeDee wrote. “Our lifestyle and livelihood burned along with our ‘things’—Jon’s gardens, the chickens, the beehives and koi pond. Our animals. The art. Our daily routine that only an unconventional home like this provides.”
The Krawczyks are currently staying with family in Thousand Oaks, but hoping to find a place to live in Malibu during the rebuilding process. In the meantime, Jon found an art studio in Moorpark where he can continue working. On the bright side, one of the family cats that had been missing and presumed dead from the fire reappeared on their Malibu property last week—almost three months after the fire.
Pamela Robins
Pamela Robins, a yoga, meditation, Reiki and sound-healing practitioner, lost her home, her “tipi” (teepee) and much of her business in the Woolsey Fire; she had no insurance.
Before the fire, she hosted events from her Tipi “House of Two Spirits” on a ranch in Agoura Hills, including sunset nature walks, group and private sound bath sessions and meditation workshops. She’s also the author of “Mediating with Animals,” and teaches at Unplug Meditation in Santa Monica and The DEN Meditation in LA.
“For those of you lucky enough to visit the Tipi, I’ll guarantee that you’ll have left Pamela’s home feeling much better than you did when you arrived. It was truly special and we have Pamela to thank for creating it,” a friend wrote on Malibu Love.
“A series of major life events led to the creation of this tipi—the death of her mother, a bout with cancer, paralyzed vocal chords and the loss of her marital home,” the friend continued. “When I suggested that we start a GoFundMe [fundraiser] page for her, true to form, she replied, “No, no—so many more people need help; I can’t possibly ask!” When I pointed out to her that most people didn’t open their door to strangers every week for healing ceremonies she gracefully (and grudgingly) acquiesced. She is learning to accept help—so let’s give her some!”
