Members of the World Mission Society Church of God brought water to residents of Ridgecrest who were affected by the recent series of earthquakes that began Thursday.
Church coordinator Gabriela Garcia was one of 25 people who decided to join together and help those without access to water and gas.
“Of course, with the magnitude of that earthquake, there was no way to (receive access to) water,” she said.
One of the church’s members, who resides in Ridgecrest, was without water. With that in mind also, Garcia and other members stepped in to help. They went to Home Depot and Dollar Tree, which donated about 70 cases of water.
They woke up early on Sunday and made the trek, greeted by residents and the Ridgecrest Police Department. The police department took to Facebook to thank those who provided water and food for the city’s residents. They also requested on Facebook for cases of water to be donated to the nearby town of Trona, which was among the hardest hit towns near the earthquakes’ epicenters.
“The police department was very helpful to the people (in town),” Garcia said. “They said a lot of the people outside (of Ridgecrest) don’t realize about (how extensive) the damage is.”
A magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck near Ridgecrest on Thursday, followed by a series of aftershocks and a magnitude-7.1 earthquake on Friday. Reports of injuries and damage came out of San Bernardino County and Kern County.
In the past, members of the church have reached out to neighborhoods in Santa Clarita affected by wildfires, Garcia said. Moving forward, in case of any natural disaster, she said they will continue to help.
