California Wildfire Relief Fund 2018

On Nov. 8 of last year, two of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in California history ignited on same the day.

The Woolsey Fire burned nearly 150 square miles of land in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, destroying 400 homes and another 1200 buildings, causing 295,000 residents to evacuate, and claiming three lives over 13 days.

The Camp Fire, which began in northern California's Butte County, would go on to become the costliest natural disaster in the world in 2018. The blaze scorched 248 square miles, leading to the destruction of more than 18,000 buildings—nearly three-quarters of them homes—and 85 fatalities until it was fully contained on Nov. 25.

The harrowing scenes of wildfires overtaking entire communities in a matter of hours spurred an outpouring of support, including from GlobalGivers like you. Our community came together in the days and weeks after the fires broke out, and more than 3,800 donors raised $1.3 million to support our vetted nonprofit partners assisting families affected by the Woolsey and Camp wildfires. Here's a look at the relief and recovery efforts your donation has supported:

• The North Valley Community Foundation supported relief work being performed at area evacuation centers in the immediate aftermath of the Camp Fire. Through partnerships with local organizations and government agencies, they were able to fund housing assistance, gift cards, gas cards, child care programs, and food and clothing distribution centers for residents affected by the wildfires.  
• In southern California, the Ventura County Community Foundation worked with local partners on a wide range of relief and recovery efforts in response to the Woolsey Fire, including purchasing a new emergency response vehicle for first responders, repairing a damaged community radio station, covering expenses for fire-damaged child and adult day care facilities, providing direct cash assistance for affected residents, and feeding and housing evacuees.
• The United Way of Northern California provided more than 6,000 individuals and families affected by the Camp Fire with emergency cash relief. They also organized a back-to-school shopping event for 130 students impacted by the wildfire, and are currently working with families who lost their home in the fire and are still struggling to find housing.
• The Humane Society of Ventura County's team was able to rescue more than 100 horses and other farm animals from ranches in southern California during the Woolsey Fire.
• Working in communities affected by both the Camp and Woolsey wildfires, Jake's Diapers distributed modern, reusable cloth diapers to families in need.
• IsraAID's psychosocial support professionals worked with service providers and first responders in both northern and southern California to ensure that their emotional needs were met. They also organized self-care workshops and processing sessions with police, firefighters, and municipality workers to create a safe space for open communication and coping with the emotional trauma of the fires.

Your generosity supported all of this vital relief work, and we thank you for making the smart choice to donate cash to support community-led relief and recovery efforts after these devastating wildfires. We’ll continue to keep you updated in the coming months about the ongoing work of our partners assisting wildfire survivors.

With gratitude,
Will + the GlobalGiving Team