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malibusurfsidenews.com LIFE & ARTS
MALIBU SURFSIDE NEWS | November 23, 2018 | 15
Malibu contractor lends
aid to local relief efforts
HEATHER WARTHEN, Contributing Editor
When one of his employees got the call to
evacuate during the Woolsey Fire, Malibu
resident Nathan Jones invited him to stay at
his home.
What Jones didn’t know is that he would
soon be evacuating, too. The owner of Jones
Builders Group, a Malibu-based residential
contractor, and his family were among the
thousands who evacuated Malibu Nov. 9.
Jones, along with his wife, Maura, and
two children Charlie and Frankie, as well as
their pets, drove to Santa Monica to stay with
friends. It was there he heard about a donation
drop-off in Santa Monica.
“I grabbed my kids because I thought it
would be good for them to do this,” Jones
said.
Jones said they purchased about $2,000 in
supplies, clearing out travel-sized items at a
local drugstore and picking up cases of water.
They then drove the supplies over to the donation
drop-off where they discovered a front
yard filled with donations. Jones asked the
organizers what they were going to do with
the supplies, but with uncertainty on when
they could get back into Malibu they were
waiting to take it in.
It was then the idea of using boats to take
supplies popped into his head.
“I said, ‘People need this now,’” Jones
said. “I said, ‘Let’s work on getting boats.’”
Jones started texting everyone he knew,
from friends and neighbors to present and
past clients. Within two hours, they had boats
ready to go out of Marina del Rey. Jones put
his staff to work and had them help load the
donations onto the boats. Altogether, they
had approximately seven boats ferrying the
supplies to Malibu, including one trip with
the 143-foot Leight Star Yacht owned by
Howard Leight, who owns Malibu Rocky
Oaks Estate Vineyard.
“The goodness came out in everyone,”
said Jones, adding curious people at the marina
also offered up their boats.
During those drops, Jones made connections
with those still in Malibu, asking them
what the greatest needs were so they could
fulfill them. He began posting through social
media, where they detailed needs a few times
a fleet of vehicles organized by Jones
Builders Group delivered supplies to
Malibu Nov. 14. NATHAN JONES/JONES
BUILDERS GROUP
a day with a drop-off location.
Eventually, Jones found a way to take a
U-Haul and other vehicles filled with supplies
into Malibu. By Nov. 14, they had nine
trucks in their supply convoy.
“A lot of these people [in Malibu] are helping
to put out hot spots and also take care of
the elderly,” he said. “They can’t sleep and
they are exhausted.”
The biggest needs, Jones said, are gasoline
and generators.
“There’s no power and everyone wants
power,” he said, adding they have purchased
$30,000 in generators. “They don’t need
blankets because they have their homes. The
focus is on getting generators.”
Jones started a GoFundMe page (www.
gofundme.com/6esipxc) to raise $150,000
to purchase generators for Malibu residents.
As of Monday, Nov. 19, they had collected
$28,753.
“We cleaned out western Los Angeles of
gas cans and generators,” Jones said.
During a trip for generators at a local Harbor
Freight, one plumber overheard Jones.
“He offered to drive in with us,” Jones
said. “I’m finding that people have a willingness
to step up.
“This disaster is like a magnifying glass
where whoever you are is magnified. If you
are a generous person, your generosity is
magnified. I’m finding out so much about
people.”
Malibu doctors render care during disaster
BARBARA BURKE, Freelance Reporter
Malibu Urgent Care stayed open for as
long as it could.
Ultimately, it faced fire officials at its
door, who told staff members to evacuate
from Malibu around 2 p.m. Nov. 9. The
urgent care facility was closed until the
morning of Nov. 12.
“With the help of the City Manager,
we were escorted back into Malibu on
Monday and we opened at 10 a.m.,” said
Dr. David Frankle, of Malibu Urgent
Care. “Since then, we have been seeing
patients with insurance as well as gratis.
I would never compound a horrible situation
by not seeing people without financial
means during this disaster.”
The facility, located at 23656 Pacific
Coast Highway, has primarily treated
patients with respiratory conditions, including
asthma and smoke inhalation, as
well injuries attributable to objects flying
in victims’ eyes and burns and abrasions,
Frankle said.
“I want to remind people that it is very
important for them to get flu shots,”
Frankle said. “Remember, last year was
the worst flu season in history.”
Dr. Jeff Harris, who also had to evacuate
from the city, tirelessly provided
medical advice via telephone to his patients.
He also treated Malibuites and
others who were evacuated to the Red
Cross evacuation center at Palisades
Charter High School.
“I’ve been treating people who suffered
primarily from respiratory conditions,”
Harris said. “I have also been
helping people who need to refill their
prescriptions, whether they have just run
out of their prescription and need a refill
or have lost their medications in the
fire.”
Mental health support
Physical manifestations aside, many
affected by the fire need counseling. The
Red Cross has hosted evacuees and coordinated
volunteer mental health services
and spiritual care professionals
who provided more than 6,600 contacts
to provide support and care to evacuees,
according to a Nov. 15 press release.
Los Angeles County also offers mental
health support. Impacted residents can
call the county’s 24/7 Disaster Distress
Helpline at 1-800-985-5990, or they can
text “TalkWithUs” to 66746 for mental
health support and resources.
Roots & Wings plans to coordinate
efforts that will involve therapists, acupuncturists,
massage therapists, yoga
classes and more to anyone affected by
the fires. Session dates were not available
as of press time.
Dr. Rhonda Jessum also is offering
free, individual crisis counseling for residents
of Malibu and surrounding communities
at 21217 Pacific Coast Highway.
Contact Jessum at (424) 330-0088.
Malibu Newsstand
25 Years in Business. #MalibuStrong
Thanks to all the brave emergency personnel
and volunteers, for their tireless work
protecting our beloved city.
It’s devastating to lose a
home, but most importantly
many lives were saved.
MALIBU IS
RESILIENT.
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