A Rancho Penasquitos man is heartbroken to see the destruction caused by the wildfires in Northern California.
"Just seeing how bad the destruction is," said Marco Perez. "I immediately felt sick to my stomach."
Perez moved to San Diego from Santa Rosa three years ago. Although his family has left Santa Rosa as well, his Facebook feed is filled with news and images of friends' homes ravaged by fire.
The home he and his family once owned, where he posed for prom pictures, is among the hundreds burned to the ground.
At least 23 people have died and more than 3,500 homes and businesses have been destroyed in a series of fires that began Sunday and have scorched 170,000 acres.
"Seeing all that destruction hurts," said Perez.
Now, Perez is collecting donations, like adult and kids’ clothing, at the Boys and Girls Club in 4S Ranch.
Bag of clothes in hand, Jaime Mautz and her daughter Peyton felt compelled to help.
Local
"It feels good to help people in need that need it," said Peyton.
"We know what it's like to be evacuated from our homes. We don’t know what it's like to lose everything, but we want to do everything we can to help," said Mautz.
Perez packed his car with the donations Wednesday night so he could deliver them to those in need.
"I know there is a lot more to be done and this isn't probably half of what's needed, but I know every little bit helps. Every little bit helps," said Perez.
The Boys and Girls Club in 4S Ranch will be collecting donations until Oct. 27. They're looking for community organizations willing to partner in the donation drive.
