This is bigger than football, and no matter what, we’re all on the same team
The amazing residents living here in Los Angeles and the surrounding cities all over Southern California are some of the strongest and most resilient people on Earth. Whether it’s intensely passionate political protests or the second-biggest wildfire catastrophe in California’s history, it’s never a matter of “if” they will recover, but “when” they recover.
Want proof? Look no further than the Donny-Ashley family, a beautiful blended family that sadly lost their home earlier this year during the dreadful Eaton fires that raged in the Altadena area. And like many other unfortunate victims of the terrible fires that ran rampant across Southern California, the Donny-Ashley family was left scrambling about how to proceed after their lives changed forever in the blink of an eye.
“For my husband and I, it felt a lot like losing a loved one. You go through a wave of emotions, like sadness, denial and anxiety,” says Quinn Mitchell-Ashley, a third-generation Altadena/Pasadena native, and loving wife to husband Donny Ashley. Quinn and Donny had just begun to truly settle into their warm Altadena home, along with their wonderful children—Kristina, age 19, Dimitri, age 14, Kenneth, age 11 and Diem, age 1, before disaster struck.
Credit: Los Angeles Rams
Immediately, it was a tough uphill battle for the Donny-Ashley family, with no roof over their heads, and no direction to lean towards; but of course, their first priority was to find proper shelter for the kids. “Thankfully, the perks of being a blended family allowed for our children to have a sense of normalcy with our co-parents,” says Quinn, before continuing on, “There was also the additional struggle of maintaining our clientele and income—as entrepreneurs, losing our home affected our businesses tremendously.”
Eventually, word of the Donny-Ashley family caught wind to Aurianne Tuttle, a hardworking agent for the nonprofit organization, The Change Reaction, that specializes in aiding struggling Angelenos during dire times of need. Aurianne is no stranger to the supportive role, thanks to the massively positive impact made by her own nonprofit operating in the Watts Area, ROC ERA. Once Aurianne connected with the family and heard their story, she felt obliged to do everything in her power to assist them, including partnering with the LA Rams’ charitable initiative, Rams Foundation.
Credit: Los Angeles Rams
“Aware we were one family of hundreds that needed help, we were grateful for even being considered. After four months, we received a request to be interviewed as wildfire survivors, which we now know was only a ploy to surprise us with a new home for a year!” said Quinn.
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Molly Higgins, Executive Vice President (EVP) of Community Impact and Engagement for the LA Rams, was eager to assist after being absolutely blown away by the family’s selflessness upon initially meeting them. “You’ve lost your home, and yet you’re here to learn about ways to help your community. You know, so cool and inspiring,” Molly recalls before continuing, “They were just so grateful to be alive and said that they were just so appreciative of the community and the way that community rallied around them in such a time of loss.”
Through the generous efforts of the Rams Foundation, the Donny-Ashleys, and one other family, were given a rental home chosen through Zillow’s handy rental platform, with one year’s rent completely covered, and the houses fully furnished thanks to a thoughtful $15,000 donation from Bob’s Furniture. Additionally, five LAUSD employees whose homes were affected by the fires would receive rental assistance.
Credit: Los Angeles Rams
“It was a moment that I’ll never forget and probably one of the most, you know, emotional moments and my 24 years with the Rams, and I’ve had a lot of emotional moments along the way, but just to be able to give that family a fresh start and such a beautiful family at that, and just their gratitude and appreciation it was just incredible,” stated Molly.
It’s hard not to root for the Donny-Ashley family. Having overcome so much trial and tribulation, Quinn, Donny, and the children know that second chances rarely come around. But thanks to all the remarkable efforts and contributions of Aurianne Tuttle, the Rams Foundation, and their partners, Zillow and Bob’s Furniture, the Donny-Ashley family hold that second chance in their palms. And while they’re extremely grateful for their new housing, Quinn and the rest of the family know that home isn’t just about the walls around you or the roof over your head—as Quinn says passionately, “Home to us has and always will be family… regardless of relation, status or time!”
Credit: Los Angeles Rams