By Robert J. Hansen
A local community activist and his family are desperately trying to escape the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles. The fire has already claimed two family homes and the remains of his mother.
Just weeks before the fires, Rory Kaufman had been discharged from the hospital, battling his own health issues that required regular dialysis three times a week. Despite these challenges, he sought comfort and togetherness by traveling to Los Angeles to spend the holidays with his family.
But what should have been a time of solace turned into a cascade of heartbreak. The day after Christmas, Rory’s beloved mother passed away, a devastating loss that left him grappling with profound grief.
“We didn’t know if Rory was gonna make it,” Jamilia Land, a friend of the family, told The OBSERVER. “When he got out of the hospital he went into rehab only for a couple of days because he wanted to go be with his mother and his sister for the holiday. He made it, and they had Christmas together. And the day after Christmas, his mother died.”
Kaufman is a dedicated community activist and leader from Sacramento and serves as the political action chair for the Greater Sacramento NAACP, contributing to the organization’s efforts in civil rights advocacy and community engagement.
Land, founder of the Anti-Violence Safety and Accountability Project, described Kaufman as a mentor who recognized her potential. She cited Kaufman’s involvement in and value he brought to the community despite rarely receiving recognition in return.
Shortly after his mother’s death, the fire ravaged her home, reducing it to ashes and obliterating the memories it held. While Kaufman was still trying to process this tragedy, his sister’s home was also consumed by flames. The devastation did not stop there: his sister was already battling stage-4 lung cancer, a fight that demanded every ounce of her strength.
The family’s hardships were compounded when the funeral home where Rory’s mother’s body was being kept was also destroyed in the fires, robbing them of the opportunity to hold a proper service and say their final goodbyes.
In addition to his role with the NAACP, Kaufman is the former president of the Black American Political Association of California, Sacramento Chapter. In this capacity, he worked closely as a consultant with the California State Assembly, focusing on initiatives that support and empower the African American community.
As Kaufman navigates his grief, he has taken on the overwhelming task of helping his family recover from these overlapping crises. He must not only support his sister, who needs in-home care for her illness, but also face his own health needs, all while dealing with the loss of cherished family homes and memories.
Currently, plans are being arranged to have Kaufman and his family moved into his home in Sacramento.
“I want to fly down to Los Angeles, and we’ll pick up a one-way RV to drop back off in Sacramento, but we need an RV,” Land said.
The family’s hardships were compounded when the funeral home where Rory’s mother’s body was being kept was also destroyed in the fires, robbing them of the opportunity to hold a proper service and say their final goodbyes.