On Monday morning, October 13, 2008, we all tuned into the news as we saw the smoke and fire engulf the hills of Porter Ranch. We knew we had to help, so we called the Los Angeles Fire & Police Departments and Red Cross to let them know we were ready to assist however they needed. As we waited for their plan of action, we began staging and preparing our campus for relief efforts. By 2:30pm we received a call that we had become an official evacuation center for the Sesnon fire — the first partnership of its type with the American Red Cross.
Because the American Red Cross was spread so thin across Southern California from other fires, we took it upon ourselves to manage the food and other resources. Our Shepherd family immediately started arriving by the dozens to transform this campus into an evacuation center unlike any the city had ever seen. We called local stores and restaurants to join in the effort to help by donating the necessary food and supplies. In total, nearly 100 of our community’s merchants and restaurants participated by providing resources to the evacuees.
Because the American Red Cross was spread so thin across Southern California from other fires, we took it upon ourselves to manage the food and other resources. Our Shepherd family immediately started arriving by the dozens to transform this campus into an evacuation center unlike any the city had ever seen. We called local stores and restaurants to join in the effort to help by donating the necessary food and supplies. In total, nearly 100 of our community’s merchants and restaurants participated by providing resources to the evacuees.
Over the next three days Shepherd’s campus served more than 1,100 evacuees. Our parking lot served as a landing pad for the Fire Department’s helicopters to fill up with water. Our sanctuary served as sleeping quarters for so many who didn’t know if they still had a place to call home. We had more than 400 volunteers working tirelessly around the clock, providing comfort for those displaced by the fires. They supplied first aid, cleaned, set up and provided other services and resources, serving three meals a day and making sure we had safe activities for the children.
Once the fires were out and everyone returned home, we realized that God had done a great work here during those critical days. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.” No words were necessary; people had seen the body of Christ come together and serve. It looked different than anything anyone had seen before, it was a mission of love that was apparent — a diverse body of Christ, and we were blessed to be a part of it.