How you can help North Bay fire victims

As you know, just over one week ago devastating wild fires swept across Napa and Sonoma counties.

The scale of loss is mind numbing. Many families fled with nothing more than the clothing on their backs, and lost everything. The response from inside and outside these communities has been astounding. Still, those affected will need ongoing support over the next few weeks and months, if not years.

If you’d like to help, below you can find a list of resources. Please share this with family, friends, anyone you think of. We will update this as we find more resources and if you have anything to add, please email us help@lastbottlewines.com with your suggestion.

Monetary Donations

There has been an outpouring of donations of physical goods – we’re talking 1000s of tooth brushes and deodorant sticks, piles of toys and clothing. These things help, but they also put a drain on resources at relief centers.

The Center for International Disaster writes:

“Unlike material donations, cash involves no transportation costs, shipping delays, or customs fees. It also enables relief organizations to spend more time providing aid by spending less time managing goods,” the organization explained on its website.

Right now, the simplest and most effective thing you can do is to donate money. Any amount helps.

• Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund: http://www.napavalleycf.org/fire-donation-page/
• Sonoma County Resilience Fund: http://www.sonomacf.org/sonoma-county-resilience-fund/
• United Way of the Wine Country Relief Fund: https://www.unitedwaywinecountry.org/
• Redwood Credit Union North Bay Fire Relief Fund: https://www.redwoodcu.org/northbayfirerelief
• Disaster Fund for Mendocino County: http://www.communityfound.org/for-donors/donate-today/community-funds/disaster-fund-for-mendocino-county/
• GoFundMe California Fire Relief has a list of funds you can choose to contribute to, including : https://www.gofundme.com/raise-funds/CAfirerelief
• The Tipping Point Community started a fund to aid low-income communities affected by the fire.
• Petaluma-based Fundly recommends this one.
• The city of Santa Rosa has its own YouCaring page for Tubbs Fire victims.
• Russian River Brewing Company is launching a fundraiser for fire victims, and for every $25 given, you’ll be entered for a chance to cut the line to get Pliny the Younger in 2018.
• Jewish Family and Children’s Services is accepting donations to the Sonoma County Emergency Assistance Fund for fire relief.
• The Latino Community Foundation is accepting donations to benefit the North Bay Organizing Project, in Santa Rosa, La Luz Center, in Sonoma, and UpValley Family Centers in Calistoga.

Ways You Can Help Locally:

If you live in the Bay Area there are some good options available. The city of Santa Rosa is currently maxed out with volunteers as of the time of publishing this post, but there are other resources below.

• Airbnb Open Homes (Bay Area): From 10/8-10/30, consider opening your home to those displaced, free of charge: https://www.airbnb.com/welcome/evacuees/northerncaliforniafireevacuees
• Love on Haight Clothing Store (San Francisco) is accepting item donations until next week: https://www.facebook.com/LoveonHaight/
• Fort Point Beer Company (San Francisco) has a donation drop-off location through Monday, 10/16: https://www.facebook.com/fortpointbeer/photos/a.458723377583319.1073741829.427010514087939/1321087311346917/
• Tutto Capelli Salon (San Carlos) has a donation drop-off location through Saturday, 10/14: https://www.facebook.com/Tuttocapellisalon/posts/1522139317868826

National Organizations

• Red Cross Disaster Relief: https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation

Animal Support

A lot of people think wine country is filled with lavish estates and families made of money. Not so. The area is rooted in agriculture and is propped up by humble farmers whose land is home to cattle, horses, goats, and other animals. Many of those animals were displaced in the fire.

• Napa Community Animal Response Team is looking for volunteers and shelter for evacuated animals: https://www.facebook.com/napacart/posts/1970475839874060
• The Milo Foundation: http://www.milofoundation.org/
• Humane Society of Sonoma County, 5345 CA-12. (Santa Rosa)
• Humane Society of Napa County, 3265 California Blvd. (Napa)
• Yuba-Sutter SPCA, 745 Sutter St. (Yuba)

Finally, it’s worth mentioning one of the simplest ways to lend you support. Buy and drink Napa and Sonoma wines! Use hashtags #buynapa and #buysonoma to share your bottles on social media to help spread the word.