Gilroy Couple Will Take Your Donated Supplies To Fire Victims Down South: How To Help

GILROY - A young Gilroy couple continues to pay it forward.

Jen and Trevor Mosher are collecting supplies right now for a trek they - or one of their network of volunteers - will take down to southern California to help victims of the Erskine Fire near Lake Isabella in Kern County.

It's nothing new for Jen, a Gilroy community activist, who lives with her husband and three children in the east foothills of town.

Last year, Jen says her small group of volunteers drove an estimated 25 trips to the Butte and Valley fires, 11 loads of which were donated hay.

"We were very successful last summer with Butte and Lake County fires thanks in large part to Gilroy folks," she says. "My husband was CHP-escorted in (to the area) to bring one of the first hay loads into Middletown."

This weekend, donors brought enough bottled water and other supplies to a drop-off site at the Morgan Hill Knob Hill to fill two trucks. Relay for Life officials even brought leftover water from their event.

The load is probably headed south on Wednesday.

Jen Mosher expects to drive one of the trucks with her three children - ages 8, 3, and 1 - in the cab. "It worked out pretty well last year," she said. "And the one year old is a lot older this year."

Right now, Mosher says she's trying to work on hay donations for the livestock and water troughs, and also water.

Mosher says as long as they can fill another pickup, someone will head out again on the 4th of July.

"We live in a rural area, and fire is always a danger," says Mosher. "We hope that if this ever happens to us, someone would turn around and help us when we need the help, in the same way."

"Our goal in doing the hard work of organizing, collecting, and driving is to make it so much easier for the folks that want to help, but don't know how," she says.

Here's Jen's Facebook post:

Ok Folks, we have a truck headed out to the ‪#‎erskinefire‬ this weekend.
If you can donate, that would be amazing! We had such an out pouring of love and support for Butte and Lake County fires last summer, let's show some love to the Lake Isabella area in Kern County.
Needs:
Boxes of baby wipes
Water
Boxed snack foods with high protein
New packs of underwear(all sizes)
New packs of socks (all sizes)
Dog food
Cat food
Dog and cat bowls
Diapers children and adults
These were all high list needs last time that I'm finding again on the fire pages for Kern.
Feel free to share this post and we will do our best to accommodate the areas that will need pick ups or drop offs, however as we found last summer, if you are able to be a drop point for goods for your friends and neighbors that is truly appreciated on all ends.
And thank you for keeping me on your friend's list despite my posting for emergencies such as this, you are all amazing.

To make a donation to the group, Jen asks that you contact her by email here.

-images via Jen Mosher