Greg from Mexican American Poets Association in collaboration with Micaela and Enrique from Border Angels joined by Joni and numerous community and labor volunteers organized and ran the donation collection and distribution system out of Chican@ Park during that critical first week, from Monday, October 22 to Saturday, October 27.

They heard numerous stories from those delivering the donations of agricultural workers close to the fires being told to keep working or they would be reported to the border patrol, of border patrol canvassing neighborhoods near the fires, of migrants too afraid to evacuate because the fear of deportation or being turned away from evacuation centers because of a lack of documentation.

The corporate media did not report on the community-generated donation system being run out of Chican@ Park. Therefore, the Minuteklan were not held accountable for for their racist harassment of volunteers trying to help those in need. Therefore, the SDPD were not held accountable for diverting volunteer time and energy from addressing the crisis in rural San Diego and for intimidating folks coming to donate.