Helping Victims of Wildfires on the West Coast
Areas of California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington are currently on fire – the latest addition to an already intense bushfire season (besides the “extremely active” hurricane season). Smoke from these wildfires spread throughout the country, creating a haze on the East Coast that has since made its way to Europe . And let’s not forget, this is all happening during a global pandemic , and unfortunately, cloth face masks do not protect you from the smoke of wildfires . All of this is mind-boggling and may seem hopeless, but if you’re looking for ways to help those affected by massive fires, here are some tips.
American Red Cross
The Red Cross has set up a fund to help victims of recent wildfires. To donate, visit their website and select “California Wildfires” from the drop-down menu that says “I want to support.”
Disaster Charity Center
The Disaster Philanthropy Center (CDP) is the only permanent national resource dedicated to helping donors maximize their impact by making more deliberate donation decisions related to disasters. You can donate directly to their California Bushfire Recovery Foundation or their North American Bushfire Foundation (for Oregon, Washington, and other wildfire-affected parts of North America).
California Firefighters Foundation
It is also important to remember the firefighters at the forefront of these fires. This organization provides emotional and financial assistance to the families of dead firefighters, firefighters and the communities they protect. You can donate here .
Latin American Community Fund NorCal Wildfire Relief Fund
This fund directly funds local Hispanic community partners who help victims of recent wildfires. You can donate to their efforts here .
Santa Cruz County Community Foundation
This organization pays special attention to helping victims of the fires of the CZU August lightning complex. They provide information on how / where to donate supplies , volunteer at the shelter and donate for their work .
Off the Grid NorCal Fire Fund
The organization is seeking food donations for survivors of the Bay Area fires. If you are a corporate partner or grocery truck business and would like to help, more information is available here .
California Community Foundation
This organization provides immediate, medium and long-term recovery from major bushfires in California. You can donate here .
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
The Silicon Valley Community Foundation has established a foundation to help individuals and families affected by wildfires. You can donate to their efforts here .
Ranger fund
This organization provides grants to help park workers, including volunteers, seasonal workers and retirees affected by forest fires. You can donate here.
Whitman County Firefighter Foundation
Supported by United Way, fundraiser for bushfire victims in Whitman County, Washington. You can donate here .
Wildlife Firefighters Foundation
This organization provides financial support to the families of the dead firefighters. Donate here .
Oregon Fire Department
With so many places to donate, GoFundMe has created a dedicated page with links to verified fundraisers for Oregon bushfire victims. You can find this page here and choose your reason.
Washington fire assistance
It’s the same deal – a gathering of trusted GoFundMe fundraisers to help Washington residents. Here is their page .
Charity Navigator’s Wildfire List
Another way to find out where to donate is to visit this dedicated page on the Charity Navigator website, which features highly regarded organizations providing assistance to those in the area. The Charity Navigator measures the work and impact of nonprofits (i.e. where the money goes) and organizations on their bushfire relief list, including GlobalGiving , Heart to Heart International , International Relief Teams, and Americares, all of which have four stars, their highest. rating.
These are just a few of the many organizations doing important relief work in California and the Pacific Northwest. Do you know another non-profit organization that could benefit from support right now? Let us know in the comments.
This post was first published in August 2020 and was updated in September 2020 to include more recent information, organizations, and resources.