Other Issues

Many issues are arising today and I want to make you aware of them:

1. The governor says hello. He’s actually done a good job of staying on top of things and we appreciate that.

2. Fraud - there are many reports of rents going through the roof, unlicensed contractors, and scammers. These activities are illegal. Landlords are only allowed to raise rents 10% within 30 days of a disaster. They must only charge “fair market value”. If you know if people doing illegal activities, you can call the governor’s hotline 800-952-5201. Or you can call the District Attorney, Bonnie Dumanis. http://www.sdcda.org/
I talked to Bonnie at great length yesterday and they are calling these people directly and nailing them. So be sure and contact her. We must all work together to stop this! Be bold!

3. Theft - I have been hearing many reports of theft–anywhere from our church having many items for a service project stolen right from the church to a client who had their house broken into last night. Remember, many people are very desperate right now. Please keep your belongings and donations secure. Lock your doors. Do not leave stuff visible in your cars - put it in the trunk. Secure donations. It’s sad but we have to be very careful until our community is more settled.

4. Do not mess around on cleaning up your properties. If you have smoke damage, call your insurance company. Some of this stuff is toxic and I’m hearing people just moving home and trying to clean it themselves. Dangerous and financially not smart. Please be smart!!!

5. Stress - This will show up now as the euphoria of having survived (or the pain of not) will ebb and some will have a post-trauma reaction. Please watch your children and the elderly or those with health conditions for signs of this creeping up. Get mental health treatment if needed. Sometimes we don’t expect this to do a delayed hit but it does. Turn off your TV. Try very hard this week to have quiet, peace, good music, etc. All of us have been hit harder than we may realize. I’m sitting here listening to Mormon Tabernacle Choir (or the Motabs as I call them) and can feel the calming effect. So do this. And if you’re married, it’s time for date night this weekend!!! Take some time away to destress . . . .. and I highly recommend Hamburger Factory in Poway. OK, so that’s a little noisy, but they were wonderful in providing food for the evacuation center! :) And your kids need to destress . . . go to the beach, chill out, take a nice walk, have family snuggle time. . . .

6. LOVE - is in the air! Let’s all work to beam out love to our community. As we talk about our experiences, lots of hugs and love are needed for all of us. We can be a huge force of love out there! Let’s watch out for each other!!

That’s all for now - next e-mail is on helping!

Leave a Comment