By Debbie Imlay, Volunteer
In the first week of September, Derek Jones was forced to evacuate from his mobile home in Foresthill with his two dogs, Nelson and Roscoe.
His neighborhood was under a mandatory evacuation order due to the Mosquito Fire. He was among dozens of people at the Red Cross shelter at Sierra College in Rocklin, Calif.
“I was so scared and in tears,” Jones said. “One of my neighbors came up and handed
me the key to one of his spare vehicles and said, ‘Get your dogs and your stuff and get off the hill.’”
Jones said the most important thing for him was to make sure his two dogs were safe. He evacuated from Foresthill wearing only the clothes on his back. But he said the generosity of community donations, either directly or through non-profit agencies, has been a blessing.
As one of many evacuees who chose to stay outside the Sierra College shelter with his pets, Jones gave thanks to the citizens of Rocklin for their generosity and compassion toward the shelter guests who camped outside.
“Now I’ve got about 10 outfits, all the supplies, all the dog food, cases of water, air
mattress,” Jones said.
You can support Red Cross disaster relief by making a financial donation at redcross.org/donate or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.
Gold Country News and Notes 