Salute The Fighters -- We Are All Together

Wildfire Relief Volunteer Opportunities in San Diego

2007-10-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

Wildfire Relief Volunteer Opportunities

Our county is transitioning from response mode to recovery. We need your help now. Some opportunities are convenient with your work and school schedules. We still have these volunteer needs countywide throughout each day.

Our community needs you. Volunteers are crucial in restoring our county. Current needs include:

Erosion Control Homeowner Assistance Program - help dig and bag sandbags at five locations
211 Phone Bank Operators - Assist with handling non-emergency phone inquiries
Spanish Speaking 211 Phone Bank Operators
Handing out water and traffic control at the Ramona Senior Center
Assisting at Campo Relief Center
Salvation Army Kroc Center Relief Help

In addition to our Fire related volunteer opportunities, please view our project calendar with more than 80 ways to help our community, click here.

Thank you for your tremendous efforts. Stay Safe!

- The Staff at Volunteer San Diego

http://www.volunteersandiego.org/

UCSD GSA Grand Pizza Party

2007-10-27T00:40:00.000-07:00

Friday 10/26

As a tradition, UCSD GSA sponsors free food party every quarter, with Oct. 26 set as the date for this Fall. It had to cancel the large-scale party on-campus this time due to the SD wildfire and UCSD closure for the whole week, but the pizza ordered could not be canceled . Considering many UCSD graduate students live in mesa, GSA decides to deliver the free food at the Cafe Vista @ One Miramar complex. Here is the notifying emails, which I copied here for memory :)

Email from Justin, one of four CSE representatives in UCSD GSA
"
The Fall Grad Free-for-All costume party was canceled due to the fires. But there's going to be free food tomorrow evening at Cafe Vita in Mesa/One Miramar. Cafe Vita is the new coffeeshop that's opening up in Mesa/One Miramar and is located directly underneath the Residential
Services office near the new enormous parking structure.
"

Forwarded Email from Griffin @ UCSD GSA to GSA representatives
"
Hey Reps,

So, the free-for-all is canceled but it was too late to cancel the pizza order. So we're going to have a big pizza party tomorrow night, starting at 5:30PM at cafe vita(one mirimar)

Since this is a last-minute event, and traditional advertising channels are closed PLEASE TELL PEOPLE!

And if it makes you feel better, wear a costume.

I hear some displaced graduate students have ended up in the mesas, so hopefully this pizza giveaway can be GSA's relief effort too.

Griffin Brungraber
Graduate Student Association, VP Campus
"

Two 9#ers - Zhiheng and Yun came to SD for IMC 2007 and visited us after the conference. In their respective flight from San Jose and Philadelphia to San Diego, they spotted the fires from the air, with Yun even sensed smokes on the air. Following a 1-hour tour on Black's Beach close to the west entrance of UCSD, they joined the Grand Pizza Party and experienced sort of free-style UCSD. Though we missed the more crowded and more fun atmosphere as the past parties at Porter's Pub on campus, we still have lots of graduate students around, enjoying mingling with each other and the delicious pizza, either standing or sitting on the beautiful mesa lawn.

Wish we will resume normal campus life next week, with everybody safe and more strong.

People from the Consulate General of the RPC in Los Angeles visit San Diego Chinese

2007-10-26T01:05:00.001-07:00

Thursday 10/25

Two people from the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Los Angeles visited San Diego Chinese this noon. They took the train here and arrived at about 11:35am. Together with the counselors, UCSDers (2007 Chinese newcomers; present and past CSSA committee members), SDSU CSSA committee members, visiting scholars from universities at home gathered at UCSD north mesa community room.

Counselor Li's main responsibility is to try every best to protect Chinese's safety in US. His typical workday goes like this: keeping answering the phones for the whole day and dealing with the paper/document work at nights. Counsulate Wang had an overseas educational background in London, and started his work in LA Consulate several weeks ago. He takes charge of the education section. Counselor Li gave a brief talk, making us aware that the Consulate has always been watching carefully about the Chinese in San Diego and is ready to offer any care and necessary help. Mr. Wang also made some notes. They encouraged all us Chinese students and scholars to keep close connection with the LA Consulate, to go through this wildfire event together and have a safe stay in San Diego.

After the counselors' speech, representatives from UCSD, SDSU and visiting scholars updated the status of each organization in turn. With her pathology research background related, He Zhu @ UCSD made very good suggestions about dealing with the possible allergic and other issues when the air quality continues bad. One issue with SDSU is that many Chinese students there are for undergraduate study, who are at younger age than most Chinese students here at UCSD. Besides, people in SDSU live sparsely, which adds some challenges on management and notification. It is very impressive to know that some SDSU Geo students and professors are working voluntarily together to build a website providing web mapping services for San Diego Wildfires 2007, which received nearly 10,000 hits yesterday when it was lunched. Instead of just staying at home and passively waiting for the fire to be controlled, they proactively apply their expertise to benefit all that involved in the wildfire. Mingxing Xu, representing the visiting scholars, said that they will tell their students in China about their experiences in San Diego when they are back to China 4 months later.

For the old 9#ers - Yanhua, Yuzhe, feng and myself, we are surprised to find that Mingxing is among the visiting scholars. He is now a professor in Computer Science Department, Tsinghua University, who was the lecture for Yanhua's signal course and had also worked together with Hui Sun, my J64 classmate during college. I am also glad to meet Domenic again, who is a staff writer with Chinese Daily News (World Journal) and met me last Sep. when Chinese marine visited San Diego. Mr. Yang is the secretory-general for Overseas Chinese in San Diego.

Later, we met several other Chinese people around San Diego. Mr. Liu and his wife are with the San Diego's Hubei'er's Union. In the past 2003 San Diego Wildfire, the fire just passed their home without causing any destroy. This time, they are also very close to the location where the fire started and their home is safe again. Mr. Zhang, introduced by Mr. Yang to us, whose home is located at Rancho Bernaco-the most serious area with most homes destroyed in San Diego wildfire, said that almost all homes around his have been destroyed and his home is ok, which was kindly interpreted as the result of the fact that he had always been very passionate in helping others and doing good.

The LA Consulates left San Diego for LA on about 2:00pm to continue their work there in the afternoon. All the other Chinese local in San Diego, who are from Taiwan, Hongkong or mainland, strongly encourages us Chinese students to get more closely connected with them and ask for help actively in future. We are greatly touched by how they support each other and care for us young Chinese abroad. There is warm and hope everywhere.

Qualcomm Stadium Shelter -10/24 - 2007_10_SD_WildFire

2007-10-24T21:44:00.000-07:00

2007.10.24

I missed CNN Anderson Cooper 360 yesterday because I had been in the Del Mar Fairground shelter then with feng. After reading the transcript of yesterday's 360 @ 360's website, I found that Anderson and 360 group had reported live in Qualcomm Stadium shelter yesterday, which had been my planned destination but I went to Del Mar Fairgrounds Shelter finally because it is nearest to my home.

from UCSD Mesa Housing to Qualcomm Stadium Shelter

This afternoon, I decided to go to the Qualcomm Stadium shelter, not only for trying meeting CNN people, but also to see what's going on there. Qualcomm Stadium is the host for San Diego football team Chargers, when back into August 20, 1967, the San Diego Chargers played their first game in the newly completed San Diego Stadium (renamed as Qualcomm Stadium in 1997). Now the stadium turns into a large shelter among all the 28 shelters around San Diego.

I invited Jing Fan together for this visit, who readily accepted my invitation and was also very excited to go there. We set out from UCSD mesa housing at about 4:50pm, taking CA-805 + 163 + Friars Rd, and arrived at the Qualcomm Stadium Shelter in 20 minutes. It is the first time that both of us visited the Qualcomm Stadium. If not for this event, I have no idea when I will be here for the first time, since I know nearly nothing about football. The parking lot is very big, about half full with cars, UVs and tents.

The Qualcommn Stadium is much bigger than the Del Mar FairGround shelter, which held about 10,000 evacuators. After getting inside through Gate D, we are a bit surprised by the scenes in front of us. A group of people are playing together happily, with two people holding the long rope and made shakes and waves, while others jumped into the waves for fun. Everybody is so happy that we can feel some sort of vacation atmosphere there. There are many booths inside, including many TV stations, Stress Relief, Insurance Companies, Business companies and many tables for food/commodities everywhere, while everybody takes what he needs. Food/Commodity supplies are quite sufficient, if not too much, actually there is a sign in the shelter entrance stating that donations are not needed at this time. There are a few people sit sparsely in the very spacious stadium's seats, either snapping, or watching the big screen playing football games. Some people are playing and having fun; TV people are working on interviewing/reporting.

At some point, a troop come out from inside the stadium and assemble besides several military trucks. We have a very hard time finding the CNN tent, which turns out to be just outside of where we started the searching, after we have walked all around the stadium for more than 20 minutes. Finally, we manage to happen to see the logo of CNN, when I am just a bit near stressed.

This is the command center of CNN commission this time in San Diego. There are several people working there in the command tent, with many others working in other locations. Steve is a NY correspondent, who joined CNN just this February. Darryl is a field engineer, and Kidan had been in Hongkong for several months in the past on a business trip. Sara is with Turners, the parental company of CNN, Cartoon, TBS, and other big names. I am very excited to meet and talk with these guys, who are very open , friendly, and professional. Talking with Sara about the possible internship gets me really excited. I also got to know Joe, a press secretory, whose work is to coordinate between medias.

Continuing to hang around with Jing Fan, we spot the mayor and other people who are speeching. War-mart donates $1 Million, Wall Fragos and SAIC also made donations. Night comes. A band begins to perform outside the football field, with two young people spontaneously danced out with the music. Evacuaters gather around for fun and relief. Nearby, several people sit on chairs into a circle, doing relief excises together.

Back to talk with the CNN people, I am told that Anderson Cooper 360 is reporting from more dangerous locations nearer to the fire today. SO I have to miss them again. However, a CNN person said that they will stay here until the fire is over. I wish they will not stay long, hoping the fire will be completely controlled soon. I also wish they can stay long enough, so that I can meet Anderson and 360 in person.

Jing Fan is very excited about this visit and she determined to go back for voluntary service tomorrow.

Del Mar FairGrounds Shelter -10/23 - 2007_10_SD_WildFire

2007-10-23T18:21:00.000-07:00

2007.10.23

The wildfires have lasted in San Diego for 3 days, since last Sunday. About 513,000 in San Diego county have been ordered or suggested to leave.

Google Map of Fire Incidents

UCSD campus will be closed for the rest of the week. We, living near UCSD, are safe for now. Many of us students have been carefully watching TV, listening to radio, doing simple packing, and getting prepared for any possible immediate evacuation order in future. Some of our friends have evacuated, who live in Carmel Valley, 6 miles north of our home.This afternoon, we decided to do something more active to get more involved and see what we can do for the people who are suffering.

Google Map of my home and the Shelter

We set out from home @ UCSD Mesa Housing at 3:00pm, heading for the shelter center nearest to UCSD –Del Mar Fairgrounds, where families and pets are welcome. With the concern in I-5 traffic in mind, we had decided to drive on local roads, but then headed onto I-5 unconsciously. We were a bit surprised to notice the few traffic on the highway, about 1/6 traffic level as usual at the same time. As we drove north, we saw some smokes in mountains not very far.

We arrived at the Del Mar FairGround at 3:15pm. There are two evacuation shelters in Del Mar FairGround, one specifically for horses, the other for people. We were directed to the latter by some soldier. There is a huge parking lot with sparse cars there, which we took as a good sign. Early today, the Authorities announced that Del Mar Heights is safe and people with their homes there can return safely. A women, who evacuated here, drove her large truck, with about 5 cats in cages and 3 dogs fastened. She is taking care of these pets with mask on. She directed us to the inner part of the shelter center.

We drove inside, and there are many cars, Ambulance, Emergency, UVs and etc. Volunteers are helping everywhere, directing cars and people, helping with the patients, helping donators moving food/water and distributing them to the sufferers. There are two main locations for evacuators. One for elderly patients, the other for others. In the hall for elderly patients, medical people, nurses, and qualified volunteers are helping to facilitate elders moving to other safe hospitals for care and treatment. Some elders are being diagnosed by doctors just inside ambulance. Another hall (Mission Tower) is full of piles of water/food/blanket/clothes outside, which are donated by people around San Diego. For a short period of 5 minutes, there are about 10 vehicles coming for donation.

Inside the Mission Tower hall, tables, tent beds, blankets, sleep bags are seen everywhere. The whole place is not a mess at all, but rather organized and regulated. Elders sit around, chatting with each other, or taking care of their pets. Young people are apparently digging more funs. Some are napping on the tent beds. People showed great comfort and peace in their face, which are highly wished also in their minds.

A male elder have been in the shelter for 2 days. He has some burns in his left elbow, lying on a tent bed and watching TV broadcasting the CA Governor Schwarzenegger’s speech. He said that the food/water supply is ample. A female elder came to the shelter yesterday morning by her own, having had expected only to stay for 2 hours. She had a cat with her and fed the cat with water. A family of four people from Carmel Valley arrived at the shelter yesterday, and the guy is working on his laptop. Many volunteers are from SGI_USA Youth Division.

Some national and local TV stations came to Del Mar Fairgrounds, including the Weather Channel, ABC 7, ABC 18 and so on (I had wished to see CNN, especially 360, but not there. I believe you guys are in more dangerous places now. So Take the very best care of all yourselves!!) The Weather Channel photographer said that they flew to Los Angeles on 10/22 and then drove to San Diego through I-5, with the traffic perceived "so-so".

During our visit and voluntary help there, we saw the peace in eveybody's face. We also saw the care and faith in everybody's face. We believe we will get through this event and we will all be safe finally.

Salute the Firefighters,
who are working directly against the fire,
for their sacrifice and courage!!

Salute the news reporters,
who are letting the world know what are going on here,
for their professional coverage and courage!!

Salute the evacuators,
who suffered the loss or the possibility of homes destroyed,
for their obeying evacuation order and courage!!

Bless every single body,
who has faith, belief and courage
a safe, peaceful everyday!!

WE ARE ALWAYS TOGETHER

The Del Mar FiarGround Evacuation Center - 2007_10_23_San Diego_WildFire

2007-10-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

2007.10.23

The wildfires have lasted in San Diego for 3 days, since last Sunday. About 513,000 in San Diego county have been ordered or suggested to leave.

Google Map of Fire Incidents

UCSD campus will be closed for the rest of the week. We, living near UCSD, are safe for now. Many of us students have been carefully watching TV, listening to radio, doing simple packing, and getting prepared for any possible immediate evacuation order in future. Some of the friends I know have evacuated, who live in Carmel Valley, 6 miles north of our home.

This afternoon, we decided to do something more active to get more involved and see what we can do for the people who are suffering.

Google Map of my home and the Shelter

We set out from home @ UCSD Mesa Housing (map link) at 3:00pm, heading for the evacuation center nearest to UCSD –Del Mar Fairgrounds Shelter, where families and pets are welcome.

With the concern in traffic on I-5 in mind, we had decided to drive on roads, but then drove to I-5 unconsciously. We were a bit surprised to notice the few traffic on the highway, about 1/6 traffic level as usual at the same time.

As we drove north, we saw some smokes in not very near far's montains.

We arrived at the Del Mar FairGrounds at 3:15pm.

There are two evacuation shelter in Del Mar FairGrounds, one specifically for horses, the other for people. We were directed to the latter by some soldier. There is a huge parking lot there with sparse cars there, which we took as a good sign. Since early today, the Authorities noticed that Del Mar Heights is safe and people with their homes there can return safely. A women, who evacuated here from her home, drove her large ??, with about 5 cats in carriage and 3 dogs lensend. She is taking care of these pets with mask on. She directed us to the inner part of the shelter center. We drove inside, and there are many cars. Ambulance, Emergency….

Volunteers are helping everywhere, directing cars in, helping with the patients, helping donators moving food/water and distributing them to the sufferers.

There are two main locations for evacuators. One for elderly patients, the other for others.

In the hall for elderly patients, medical people and nurses, and qualified volunteers are helping to facilitate elders moving to other safe hospitals for care and treatment. . Some elder person are receiving diagnosing from doctors just inside ambulance.

Another hall is full of piles of water/food/blanket/clothes outside, which are donated by people around San Diego. For a short period of 5 minutes, there are about 10 vehicles coming for donation.

Inside the hall, there are refugees. Tables, tent beds, blankets, sleep bags are seen everywhere. The whole place was not a mess at all, but rather organized and regulated. Elderly people sit around, chatting with each other, or taking care of their pets. Young people are apparently digging more funs. Some are napping on the tent beds. People showed great comfort and peace in their face, which are highly wished also on their mind.

A male elder stayed in the evacuation center is 2 days. He has some burns in his left elbow, on a tent bed and watching the TV broadcasting the CA Governor Schwarzenegger’s speech. The elder said that the food/water supply is ample.

A female elder came to the shelter by her own, having had expecteded only to stay for 2 hours, She had a cat with her and fed the cat with water. A family of four people from Carmel Valley arrived at the evacuation center yesterday, and the guy is working on his laptop.

Some national and local TV stations came to Del Mar Fairgrounds, including the Weather Channel, ABC 7, ABC 18 and so on (I had wished to see CNN, especially 360 J , but not there. I believe you guys are in more dangerous places now. So Take the very best care of all yourselves!!) The Weather Channel photographer said that they flew to Los Angeles on 10/22 and then drove to San Diego through I-5, with the traffic perceived "so-so".

During our visit and voluntary help there, we saw the peace in eveybody's face. We also saw the care and faith in everybody's face. We believe we will get through this event and we will all be safe.

Salute the firefighters who are working directly against the fire, for their sacrifice and courage!
Salute the news reporters, for their professional coverage and courage!
Bless the evacuators, for their obeying the order and courage!
Bless everybody safe, peaceful everyday!