How to Help the Victims of CA Fires

a vetted organization offers a way to help

I almost never publicize things like this, because once you do it for any cause, people ask you to do it for every cause. Further, it’s extremely difficult to know for sure that something isn’t a scam. Even intense efforts at due diligence can fall short.

But these wildfires are so bad, and will continue to be bad for so long — the last time I checked they were 0% contained — that I wanted to find something, and I’ve found what I believe to be the most effective and direct way to help.

Chef Andrew Gruel and his wife, Lauren, own the Calico Fish House restaurant in Huntington Beach, California. They are personally known to many people with large platforms, including Bridget Phetasy, Michael Cernovich, and others. The very large number of people volunteering under their auspices has resulted in all kinds of pictures and videos of what’s going on there, so there’s a lot of evidence that it’s exactly what it appears to be: a way to help. Further, Chef Gruel is turning down offers of money and asking people to just donate goods via Amazon:

So I think this is about as good as it gets. If you want to help, go to Amazon and order something to be delivered right to the restaurant:

Calico Fish House, 16600 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach, CA 92649

Their most urgent needs right now are diapers, baby formula, wipes, water, pet food, cat litter, socks, and shoes in both adult and kid sizes.

I placed an Amazon order just now and hope some of you will, too.

---