Looking for Ways to Help Those Affected by the Wine Country Wildfires? Here’s a List.
As wildfires continue their cruel assault, what can we do to help our friends, our Northern California neighbors, in this desperate hour?
Plenty. Fire victims need food and shelter. Firefighters and rescue workers need our support on many levels. Relief agencies need cash donations and armies of volunteers so they can continue their work helping victims rebuild their lives. Here are ways you can help.
- Airbnb is asking its Northern California hosts to open their doors at no cost to fire victims and rescue workers — and providing a link for those in need of housing because of the fires.
- Donate to food pantries in Napa County.
- Donate to food pantries in Sonoma County.
- The Redwood Empire Food Bank is accepting donations of food and money and also needs volunteers.
- The Sonoma Community Center is signing up volunteers.
- In Napa, the Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership is registering volunteers.
- The American Red Cross’ Volunteer Connection page is the first step in becoming a volunteer worker for the agency.
- The Point Richmond-based Milo Foundation, a nonprofit rescue, adoption center, and sanctuary for domestic animals, was forced to evacuate about 200 animals from its sanctuary in Willits and is seeking volunteers to provide foster homes for cats and dogs.
- The Sonoma Humane Society is a supply hub for several fire evacuation sites and is accepting donations of pet food and supplies.
- Donate to the Humane Society of Napa County.
- Donate to the Sonoma County Resilience Fund, overseen by the Community Foundation of Sonoma County.
- Donate to the Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund.
- Donations for residents of Mendocino and Lake counties are being coordinated by the Savings Bank of Mendocino County.
- We at Pacific Union have established the Pacific Union Wine Country Fund to help our colleagues in the North Bay get back on their feet.
- The crowd-founding website GoFundMe has a California Fire relief page for donations to the Direct Impact Fund.
- A GoFundMe page for Napa and Sonoma County Fire Relief is raising money for the Sonoma Valley Fire and Rescue Authority, Napa County Fire Department, and Lake County Fire and Rescue, as well as other relief efforts.
- For a list of Northern California evacuation centers and shelters, including 25 in Sonoma County alone, go to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services home page.
- The Rotary of Sonoma Valley matched the first $10,000 of donations on its YouCaring page and has a goal of $25,000.
- The City of Santa Rosa also established a YouCaring page to assist Tubbs Fire victims.
- Bay Area sports teams, including the San Francisco 49ers and the Golden State Warriors, pledged $450,000 on a YouCaring page and have invited fans to contribute.
(Photo: iStock/manop1984)