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Kiwanis Club Helps
Mudslide Victims
Kiwanis members Nick Berkuta (left), Mary Gant and Linda
Margarian were among those who assisted mudslide victims.
Kiwanis Club Of La Cañada
took the lead in coordinating volunteer
efforts to help recent mudslide
victims.
Working with La Cañada
Flintridge City Hall, Los Angeles
County Sheriff’s Department and
Community Emergency Response
Team (CERT), Kiwanis President
Nick Berkuta organized a
Command Post at Descanso
Gardens West Annex parking lot
where volunteers could check in for
assignments. An outpouring of volunteers,
including hundreds of local
residents and Kiwanians, showed up
Thursday, Friday and Saturday,
grabbed shovels and T-shirts and
were bused up the hill in vans provided
by the City of La Cañada
Flintridge. Working in groups of
three and four, volunteers removed
mounds of mud “4 feet high and 20
feet long,” according to volunteer
George Lutes.
“Watching the news is one
thing, seeing this devastation with
your own eyes is a completely different
story,” said Neide Torres. “I
was speechless. One elderly woman
we helped was overjoyed when we
arrived.”
After several hours of mud
excavation, Neil Mottinger said:
“This experience is a testament to
the indomitable human spirit.
Many of the people up there feel
lucky to be alive. How are they
doing it? At this point they are running
on sheer adrenaline.”
Kiwanis is grateful to be of
service and cares deeply about this
community. Jersey Mike’s Subs
donated sandwiches to volunteers.
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