The West Coast Wildfires
“Fire Season” has hit California and the Pacific Northwest hard once again. Massive blazes have been raging like a pissed-off bull for the last few weeks (you’ve probably seen those wild pictures of orange skies and clouds of thick grey smoke on the ‘gram). Over 3.1 million acres have burned in California alone, with more than 800,000 people evacuated throughout Oregon and California.
It’s rough out there, but the good news is that there are some easy ways that you can help support those in need and those putting their lives on the line.
Wildfires: How You Can Help
A simple, no-fail way to help the victims and firefighters is to donate. From charities providing shelter, food, and medical services, to foundations that support fire and medical crews; even a few dollars goes long way.
Charity Navigator is a great place to start your search for worthwhile causes. It has a curated list of highly-rated, vetted charities that are specifically dedicated to helping wildfire victims.
Here are a few of our favorite options:
Donate to Help Firefighters
- The California Fire Foundation provides financial and emotional support to the families of firefighters, and their communities.
- The National First Responders Fund supports first responders with a range of services including medical treatments, outreach, and activism.
Donate to Help Evacuees
The American Red Cross: You can easily donate online – it’s even faster than placing an order on Postmates. You can also just text “CAWILDFIRES” to 90999 to make a quick $10 donation.
California Community Fund & Oregon Community Fund: These funds support both immediate disaster relief and long-term recovery efforts in the two hardest hit states.
Red Rover: To help our animal friends who have been impacted, Red Rover has a comprehensive list of resources in California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado. You can also donate directly to Red Rover.
Support Brands & Services Making a Difference
We know that not everyone can make a direct donation, but there are a ton other easy ways to help too. You can also find and support brands that are doing their part to help wildfire-related causes, whether they’re donating a portion of the proceeds or providing time and services to those in need.
Our Dr. Squatch HQ is in Southern California so we see the reality of the wildfires in our surrounding community. We’ve partnered with our friends at Fire Dept. Coffee on our Cold Brew Cleanse bar soap that lets you get clean for a good cause.
Fire Dept. Coffee is run by firefighters and donates a portion of their proceeds to provide support for ill or injured firefighters and first responders. For every Cold Brew Cleanse sold, we donate to their foundation.
So far we’ve helped raise $15,000 for the fund, and we’re just getting started.
We know it’s easy to feel helpless in times like these but the more we band together to do what we can, the bigger impact we all can have helping those in need.
Keep Squatchin’ (and donatin’).
