How to Help: Wine Country Wildfire Relief Resources
The year 2020 has, once again, tragically brought destructive wildfires to our home state of California and the Napa Valley community. As of September 14th, a total of 7,718 fires have burned over 3.7 million acres -close to 4% of California’s total land, making this year the largest wildfire season in our state’s history.
Photograph: Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/Rex/Shutterstock
Sadly, as those of us in and close to the Napa-Sonoma wine regions know, the fear of destruction is more present than ever as fires continue to erupt, forcing people away from their homes and businesses.
These types of disasters can create an overwhelming sense of paralysis, even for those of us who are out of harm’s way. Wondering what to do and how to help can be daunting and confusing, but there are many ways to support those in need and to effect change at a local level.
Image: California Community Foundation
For those of you looking to support firefighters or displaced residents and workers, have a look below for some some excellent places to start.
The Napa Valley Community Foundation has established a Community Disaster Fund, which helps those directly affected by natural disasters in the Napa Valley. The organization has committed an initial and immediate $100,000 to the 2020 Napa County Wildfire Fund, which is part of the overarching Disaster Fund. The Sonoma Valley Vintners Foundation has an established disaster fund as well, which can be found here on their website.
The 2020 Wine Country Wildfire Relief Fund, managed by five wine industry marketing professionals, was created to fund direct relief for those in California’s wine country affected by wildfires. The fund benefits several statewide and local organizations. Check out the full list in this press release.
The California Community Foundation has an extremely useful and comprehensive page on its website dedicated to the Northern California Wildfire Relief Resources. Reputable organizations linked on their page include the California Fire Foundation, the California Association of Food Banks, and the NorCal Wildfire Relief Fund, which invests in grassroots Latino nonprofit organizations in Sonoma and Napa Counties.
According to the California Community Foundation, marking your gift as “general operating support” allows the organization to both respond to current disasters and be prepared for those that may arise in the future. Visit their disaster giving page for more helpful tips on how to maximize your donation’s impact when giving to disaster relief.
