Clearlake Oaks >> Like thick barriers, stacks upon stacks of donated items as tall as an adult line the outside of the Moose Lodge, still the only option for some remaining residents forced out of their homes by the Valley Fire even after law enforcement lifted all road blocks.
Volunteers have been sifting through all of the items and sorting them into boxes of clothes, boxes of household goods, boxes of shoes and boxes crap (as they were marked, filled with items too worn to use). Tents meant to house California Military Reserve soldiers were turned into extra storage units. Leaving the men and women outside all day but nonetheless impressed with the amount of support coming in to Lake County.
So much has come in that effective Wednesday the Moose Lodge will no longer accept donations other than food, water and sodas, juice, ice and animal feed.
“With volunteerism down and donations continuing to come in we need to call a halt for now to all donations. You have answered the communities (sic) needs,” read a Sunday post on the Moose Lodge’s Facebook page, a tool that’s proven to be vital in updating the public on the status of the lodge as it continues to operate as a shelter.
An hour after the Valley Fire burst on Sept. 12, the facility opened its doors to about 180 residents who spent the night. The following day hundreds more flooded the lodge, where at one point at least 400 people were sheltered and just as many people have volunteered.
The grounds outside the facility within a few days transformed into what appeared to be a tent city visible from the highway.
Matt Nelson, junior governor of the Moose Lodge, has been at the center daily after work and all day when he’s off.
“I personally cannot thank (volunteers) enough, the overwhelming outpouring of love and support that the community has shown for those that have been through a traumatic experience has been great,” Nelson said.
Evacuees made the best of it though, trying to maintain some form of normalcy or at least keep themselves busy.
On Sept. 19, one woman set up lawn chairs, boxes and an umbrella to provide shade as she gave herself a manicure.
It’s silly she said, with everything that’s happened, to fuss about getting her nails done. But after having to take care of her children and husband, keeping her camp clean and the loss of her home, painting her nails gave her a kind of escape — welcomed even if fleeting.
A week later on Sept. 26, a group got together and rounded up ingredients for a home-style stew they planned to eat that Saturday night, slow cooked in a solar powered oven. The owner said she bought it for recreational camping purposes but raved about its usefulness in this emergency situation.
Volunteers have also done their best to make evacuees feel comfortable, for one, by not calling them evacuees or refugees. Nelson refuses to do so, instead referring to them as guests or family members.
Some are displaying signs of post traumatic stress disorder, Nelson said. Counselors and volunteers have stepped in to try and keep spirits up.
“They have their ups and downs, but are thankful for what they have right now,” Nelson said, food and a place to stay at the lodge.
Most displaced people have since returned home to Hidden Valley Lake, Middletown and Cobb communities or have found another place to stay, taking with them goods donated to the shelter, but leaving plenty more still behind. Lodge volunteers are now focusing their efforts on sorting and organizing items that will be shipped to a warehouse in Lakeport where items will be stored and distributed to fire victims as requests are made.
On Wednesday, about 60 were staying at the lodge. These residents have had no alternatives. No family to stay with, no money for lodging and no RV that would at least function as a temporary home. Nelson said they are just waiting on help from FEMA to provide a permanent or at least semi-permanent housing. The last people were registering for aid on Wednesday, and the lodge will continue to operate as a shelter until it is no longer needed, providing water and meals regularly.
“From day one we are keeping our promise that we are not giving up on them,” Nelson said.
For more information on the Moose Lodge visit http://www.mooselodge2284.org/.
