Sonoma State Student Helps His Fire Stricken Community
“In a time that was so crazy and hectic, my work helped me to gain a sense of control and structure.”
While the Tubbs fire brought devastation and destruction to Sonoma County, it also brought a community together in unlikely ways. Keegan Donley, a senior studying Computer Science at Sonoma State University, took matters into his own hands when his beloved college county started to burn.
I sat down with Keegan one sunny Saturday morning, eager to hear what he had to say. He explained that he had evacuated the morning the fires started and stayed a night in his hometown, San Jose. However he quickly returned back to Sonoma County, desperate to help. Sitting around helplessly was not something he could bare to do.
So you might be wondering, where does one go when their house burns down? Well, some people fled to Bodega Bay, where Keegan and a team of volunteers had set up a safe haven at the Bodega Bay Grange Hall. While there were waiting lists for shelters in Santa Rosa, there were none in Bodega. Some evacuees camped at Doran Beach, using supplies donated by the community, as well as big organizations such as Big 5. Keegan used his passion for the outdoors to teach people how to use the camping equipment.
The evacuation camp at Bodega Bay served as a safe haven for countless undocumented families. This was incredibly valuable to the undocumented community, because some were concerned that most of the shelters in inland Sonoma County might not be a not a safe option for them.The undocumented community was impacted significantly by the fires, as many do not have the insurance or the means to buy or rent another home. The volunteers at the Bodega Bay shelter wanted to help everyone impacted by the fires, regardless of legal status.
The hall served not only as a shelter, but as a supply distribution area as well. They handed out firewood, camping supplies, blankets, and food donated by various local organizations. Keegan explained that he was working 15 hour days on average, wearing any and all hats necessary in order to help those impacted. “We wanted to help the community in any way we could. The shelter began to rely on me in ways I never expected. I even had the keys to the building.”
After the fires, Keegan joined an organization called Sonoma County Rises, whose main goal was to help the Sonoma County community rebuild after the devastation. Keegan put his computer science science skills to work by volunteering to work on their website with a data science team. He even spoke at an event, the Sonoma County Rises Summit, about data protection and their website.
“It felt good to help and not sit idly by, helplessly watching everything burn to the ground.” Keegan inspired me with his story and got me thinking, what can I do today to help my community?