As tens of thousand of people evacuate Southern California to flee the raging wildfires in the area, hundreds have already lost their homes to the disaster. Fires in Ventura County and Los Angeles County have destroyed tens of thousand of acres, and everyone from suburbanites to Bel Air mansion dwellers are affected.
Last night, 430 people took refuge in 7 #RedCross shelters due to the #wildfires in California. Read more about our response, safety tips and how to find loved ones: https://t.co/w7OpMNiO8G pic.twitter.com/jB9JCYpIGD
— American Red Cross (@RedCross) December 6, 2017
There are ways you can make a difference:
- Donate to the United Way of Ventura County’s Thomas fire fund through this link or by texting UWVC to 4144.
- The Salvation Army Ventura Corps is asking for food and water donations at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.
- Direct Relief, an organization out of Santa Barbara, is collecting donations for healthcare items like including N-95 respiratory masks and emergency health kits.
- If you want to volunteer, you can stay tuned to the Red Cross’ L.A. chapter as they send out opportunities and evaluate local needs.
Crowdfunding:
If you’d like your efforts to go toward more specific parties or areas of need, you can browse the fundraisers on YouCaring to make more direct connections with the people and organizations you want to help. GoFundMe has aggregated many of the verified campaigns for wildfire relief. There’s also the option of donating to the Direct Impact Fund that supports multiple verified campaigns.