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聽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聽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 –聽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:聽http://www.napavalleycf.org/fire-donation-page/
- Sonoma County Resilience Fund:聽http://www.sonomacf.org/sonoma-county-resilience-fund/
- United Way of the Wine Country Relief Fund:聽https://www.unitedwaywinecountry.org/
- Redwood Credit Union North Bay Fire Relief Fund:聽https://www.redwoodcu.org/northbayfirerelief
- Disaster Fund for Mendocino County:聽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 :聽https://www.gofundme.com/raise-funds/CAfirerelief
- The Tipping Point Community聽started a fund to aid low-income communities affected by the fire.
- Petaluma-based聽Fundly recommends this one.
- The city of Santa Rosa has聽its own YouCaring page聽for Tubbs Fire victims.
- Russian River Brewing Company聽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聽accepting donations聽to the Sonoma County Emergency Assistance Fund for fire relief.
- The聽Latino Community Foundation is accepting donations聽to benefit the North Bay Organizing Project, in Santa Rosa, La Luz Center, in Sonoma, and UpValley Family Centers in Calistoga.
Ways You Can聽Help Locally:
If you live in the Bay Area there are some good聽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:聽https://www.airbnb.com/welcome/evacuees/northerncaliforniafireevacuees
- Love on Haight Clothing Store (San Francisco) is accepting item donations until next week:聽https://www.facebook.com/LoveonHaight/
- Fort Point Beer Company (San Francisco) has a donation drop-off location through Monday, 10/16:聽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:聽https://www.facebook.com/Tuttocapellisalon/posts/1522139317868826
National Organizations
- Red Cross Disaster Relief:聽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:聽https://www.facebook.com/napacart/posts/1970475839874060
- The Milo Foundation:聽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,聽745 Sutter St. (Yuba)
Finally, it’s worth mentioning聽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.