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Donate to Southern California Wildfire Recovery Fund
February 2008

With your help, United Way will continue the enduring work of putting lives and communities back together.  What took the fires just a few days to destroy will take many, many years to rebuild.

Gifts to United Way's Southern California Wildfire Recovery Fund will support services that bring communities back better than before (i.e., housing, mental health, quality child care, job training).  United Way's Southern California Wildfire Recovery Fund will:
 
  • Meet the needs of affected families, which could include counseling, mental health services, vouchers for rent, utility assistance, or other services.  A committee of volunteers will be organized to distribute the funds.
  • Provide community-wide, long term recovery.  United Ways will activate local volunteer committees of community leaders to review applications from support agencies and develop strategies to address the long term needs of the communities affected.

Donations can be made through United Way of Santa Barbara County.  You can:

Donate Securely Now


Please make a notation on your online gift form that you want your donation to go to United Way Southern California Wildfire Recovery Fund. 

Or, you may mail your donation to: United Way of Santa Barbara County, Southern California Wildfire Recovery Fund, 320 E. Gutierrez Street, Santa Barbara, CA  93101

Wildfire Fund Recovery Update
3/13/2008

As of 2/29/08, the regional fund for United Way's Southern California Wildfire Recovery Fund has pledges and gifts totaling $685,595.44. As a regional community service, all of the Southern California United Way organizations have agreed to not charge any administrative costs for the Fire Relief Fund.

Organizations receiving funds are as follows:
 

Vista Hill Provides mental health treatment for students with serious mental health issues. Services are provided at schools and at home.  All served are low income.  Services are for several hundred students in the Ramona area who lost their homes. 
Community Housing Works (fiscal agent for Farm Worker Care Coalition, a collaboration of organizations that serve agricultural workers in North County) Funds will be used for rental assistance, food relief, transportation, health assistance, health education outreach, clothing assistance and general financial assistance for those affected by the fires.
Salvation Army Will provide basic needs and assistance in creating a plan for victims to move forward with their lives, which includes clean up, rebuilding, and financial assistance to those who lost their homes in the fires.
Deaf Community Services Provided sign language interpreters at all evacuation centers. 
Armed Services YMCA Provided 687 families that lost power in evacuated areas emergency food certificates
Interfaith Community Services Serves low income individuals, providing home/yard clean up for senior households; rental assistance, prescription assistance, and any health problems caused by the fires.
Camp HOPE Program is a residential camp for children that have been impacted by domestic violence.  The fire destroyed the camp's tents, platforms, campfire area, stage and fencing, as well as all of the program's equipment, which included boats, kitchen equipment, craft supplies, furniture and sleeping bags. 
Travelers Aid Society of San Diego Provides transportation and gasoline vouchers to those in need, as well as transportation for medical purposes, as well as other disaster related services.
Burn Institute Provides burn survivors and their families with services during their physical and emotional road to recovery.  Services provided include rehabilitation and long-term psychosocial needs.  Also provided will be sponsorships to the World Burn Congress, an international gathering of burn survivors.  At this event, survivors find peer support sessions, counseling, fellowship and other recovery services not covered by insurance.


 


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Wildfire Fund Recovery Update



» Click here for an update on funds raised to date and fund distribution




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