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Anthony Ruffin, a longtime social worker who's been dedicated to helping those experiencing homelessness, is now without a home after his family's property was destroyed by the Los Angeles wildfires.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Ruffin, a County Department of Health Services worker on Skid Row, lost his family home in Altadena in the Eaton Fire, one of several wildfires raging in Southern California.
Ruffin and his wife, Jonni Miller, were forced to evacuate their home on January 8 due to the Eaton Fire, leaving behind the residence that was purchased by his father in 1972.
“It’s terrible,” he tearfully told the LA Times this week.
As a social worker, Ruffin became known for his dedication to helping Californians experiencing homelessness find housing, often working weekends and nights.
Ruffin and Miller lost everything in the Eaton fire but said they are already back to work helping those in need.
“I gotta meet up with somebody today who’s homeless and try to help him get into housing,” he said. “I also did that on Friday. I gotta help somebody, every day… I got my own problems, but I’m fortunate."
“So many of the people down there on Skid Row are dealing with addiction and homelessness and don’t have some of the resources I have. I mean, I got a motel room right now, and they don’t have that," Ruffin added.
Ruffin's family launched a GoFundMe campaign this week to help rebuild their lives after their home burned down.
Prior to the fire, Ruffin said he “worked two jobs to hold onto that property, because I knew how much it meant to my family.”
“We really fixed the house up and got it looking really decent," he said.
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