Through ashes, hope and thanks
CHICO, CALIF. — Hannah Crenshaw hosts a Thanksgiving dinner each year, cooking turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes — her favorite — for up to 15 guests at her home in Magalia.
That’s not an option this year. Her house burned down in the Nov. 8 wildfire that tore through the town of Paradise and surrounding communities, including Magalia, destroying more than 13,000 homes.
Instead, the 26-year-old will be spending Thanksgiving with her husband’s family in nearby Durham. She’s trying to see the best in a heartbreaking situation.
“It doesn’t really feel like Thanksgiving,” she said. “But Thanksgiving’s my favorite holiday. I guess I have a lot to be thankful for this year with everything going on.”
The Camp Fire has killed at least 83 people, with the number rising daily, and has displaced tens of thousands of others. Hundreds are unaccounted for.
It won’t be a normal Thanksgiving for any of those families, but businesses and hundreds of volunteers have stepped up to ensure turkey, potatoes and pie are available as a small slice of comfort for anyone who wants a plate.
Washington, D.C.based nonprofit World Central Kitchen is cooking 15,000 Thanksgiving meals, teaming up with Chico-based Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., the local university and the town of Paradise to serve them Thursday. Volunteers prepared food and set up massive tables Wednesday.
“It will be a respite from the frantic activity of trying to put our lives back together and our town back together,” Paradise Mayor Jody Jones said.
Scores of volunteers also are opening their houses to strangers, to provide a more intimate Thanksgiving.
Rachael Anderson is hosting a displaced mom and daughter at her home in Redding, about an hour and a half from Paradise. Anderson knows what it’s like to live in a community devastated by flames — a massive wildfire swept through Redding last summer.
She didn’t lose her home, and she now wants to share it with others in need. She’ll be joined by Athenia Dunham and her 15-yearold daughter, Natalie.
“They’ve lost their home, their traditions, whatever it is that they do. I just want to give them a little piece of home,” Anderson said. “That’s what Thanksgiving’s about; it’s not just about your blood family — it’s about giving thanks and helping each other.”