The Lincoln Log

Clouds of swirling, thick back smoke billowed from the windows of a San Francisco apartment building. Men and women alike sprinted outside to their safety, and to the grim realization that their possessions were destroyed. Among those evacuees was Lincoln High School’s social studies teacher, Andre Jordan.

The fire that affected Jordan on 13 July, a day Jordan said he will never forget, started with a pile of debris in the backyard of the apartment complex he was living in. The flames from the debris soon caught onto the actual building and spread quickly throughout all the units, leaving lung-damaging smoke in its path.

“The smoke was so thick I had trouble breathing as I escaped,” said Jordan.

According to Jordan, every resident was quickly evacuated without enough time to gather items from their home. For Jordan, all was lost.

“I couldn’t take anything with me,” said Jordan. “I had no clothes and no shoes; I only had the clothes on my back. Everything burned up with the building.”

Among the lost items, there were several irreplaceable, sentimentally significant treasures of his past.

“My grandmother’s furniture, my parent’s wedding pictures, everything. What I think I miss most though, are the gifts students have given me throughout my years of teaching,” said Jordan.

Fortunately, Jordan was able to find a new apartment within days of the fire. However, he had no furniture or decorationis to put inside his new apartment until recently.

Several Lincoln staff members as well as the Red Cross foundation took the time to donate furniture and clothes to Jordan. Even his graduating class of 1974, most of whom he hadn’t talked to or seen in decades, donated towels.

One particular faculty member, Shawn Aluk, has supported Jordan since day one. “I really haven’t done a whole lot. I helped him move a bit, gave him some pillows,” said Aluk.”I think he’s doing fine now.”

Currently, Jordan said that he is trying to cope during this confusing and stressful time.

“I feel as if I have no control over my life because all the paperwork and insurance issues are still in processing. Coming to school and doing my job, however, keeps my mind off of other things.”

Jordan said he is ever grateful to those that have comforted and supported him throughout this entire ordeal.

“The staff here (Lincoln) has been so thoughtful with e-mails and phone calls asking if they can help out in any way. Students have come up to me and asked me how I am doing.” Jordan said. “It’s the small things that really show that you care.”