Petaluma woman’s nonprofit brings propane to fire victims

First came the Camp fire that tore through the town of Paradise. Then came winter, and thousands of displaced residents faced the prospect of a cold, wet season.

That’s when Petaluma resident Jocelyn Cronin got involved. Cronin, who volunteered after the 2017 North Bay wildfires, was looking for some way to help the victims of the Camp fire, the deadliest blaze in state history.

A pilates instructor, she met Angela DeCarli through the class she teaches in her home. DeCarli is the owner of DeCarli’s Propane in Petaluma, and the two hatched a plan to donate propane to displaced victims living in trailers in the burn zone.

“I chose to get involved with propane because it’s the only thing that feeds them, showers them, keeps them warm,” said Cronin, 63. “You can’t make a hot meal without propane.”

Through the organization she founded, Campaign Propane: Operation Warmth, she has taken dozens of full propane tanks to shelters and trailer parks in and around Paradise.

She relies on donations - donors can call DeCarli’s at 762-4511 and purchase an empty five-gallon tank for $44.95. DeCarli’s will fill it with propane for free, and Cronin will deliver it to those in need on one of her frequent trips north, along with a batch of fresh baked cookies from her neighbor.

“I just listen to their stories,” she said. “I’m not going to have them freeze. It breaks my heart.”

Cronin, who is originally from South San Francisco, is married to a former Redwood City firefighter. Tragedies like the Camp fire hit especially close to home for her.

After the Camp fire, she wanted to adopt a family of a Paradise firefighter who had lost their home. For her birthday, she asked for donations instead of presents, and she received $800. That became the seed money to start the propane tank project.

“It’s absolutely devastating, it was so unprecedented,” she said of her first visit to Paradise after the fire. “I’ve been drawn to helping survivors.”

As Cronin’s campaign took off, she was contacted by the National Victim Support Network, which helps raise funds for survivors of many disasters. Her Campaign Propane was recently featured on the group’s homepage and people can donate to the campaign through the site, giving it a national platform.

“It’s just blossomed,” she said.

Donations through the national nonprofit are tax deductible.

“The amount of destruction caused by the Camp fire is the kind rarely seen in modern history,” the nonprofit’s website says. “We are helping to rebuild Paradise, Magalia and Concow. But we can’t do it alone, we need your help. We still need more. Of everything.”

Cronin is also setting up a donation jar at Sax’s Joint in Petaluma.

For Cronin, who has lived in Petaluma for 29 years, helping neighbors in a town hundreds of mile away is its own reward.

“It is beyond rewarding,” she said. “The smiles you get, it’s just amazing.”

(Contact Matt Brown at matt.brown@arguscourier.com.)