11 Ways to Help People Affected by the California Wildfires

Co-authored by Direct Relief and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: January 10, 2022 References

During the summer of 2021, wildfires have devastated forests and towns in California. Whether you live nearby or you’ve just heard about it on the news, you may be looking for ways you can help the people who have been affected by these fires. We’ve compiled a list of trustworthy charities and organizations you can donate money and goods to for an effective way to make a difference and help community members in need.

1

Donate money to the Red Cross.

This international organization is providing food and shelter. If you don’t live near California but you’d like to help out, you can donate to the Red Cross on their website so they can purchase food, supplies, and medical items. If you live nearby, you can also sign up to volunteer for Red Cross and help those in need.^{[1]
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Direct Relief
Humanitarian Aid Organization
Expert Interview. 10 December 2018.}
- Make a donation by visiting https://www.redcross.org/donate/cm/abc10-pub.html/.
- If you want to volunteer or learn about other options, visit https://www.redcross.org/local/california/northern-california-coastal/volunteer.html.

2

Donate money to the California Community Foundation.

This is a wildfire relief fund that supports communities in need. They help provide housing and medical care during emergencies, and they also follow up with the victims of wildfires to provide education and financial support. The Community Foundation also funds grants and scholarships to empower communities and the people in them.^{[3]
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- To make a donation, visit https://www.calfund.org/wildfirerecoveryfund/.

3

Donate to The Almanor Foundation Wildfire Relief.

The foundation provides support to Plumas County in California. Not only will they provide emergency support, but they also stick around for long-term relief to make sure the community can recover. As of August 2021, Plumas County has been hit hard with the Dixie wildfire, so they need all the help they can get.^{[4]
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- Make a donation by visiting https://almanorfoundation.com/donate.

4

Give money to the Salvation Army.

This is another international organization that’s pledged to help victims. They provide food, shelter, and medical supplies to those in need, and they also help figure out housing for people who have been displaced. Make a donation on their website to help them purchase supplies for people in California.^{[5]
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- Donate by visiting https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/help-disaster-survivors/. To ensure your money goes toward the wildfires in California, check the box that says “This donation is for a specific city, state OUTSIDE of my local community.” Then, select “California” in the dropdown menu.

5

Make a donation to Direct Relief.

They are providing masks and oxygen to people affected by smoke. Since this organization is based in California, they make an extra effort to drop food and supplies wherever they can. Direct Relief also helped in the 2020 fires in California, so they have experience in caring for Californians after a disaster.^{[6]
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Consumer Reports
Nonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testing
Go to source}
- To make a donation, visit https://secure.directrelief.org/site/Donation2?df_id=2924&mfc_pref=T&2924.donation=form1. Select “Wildfire Response - Western U.S.” under the “Direct my donation to:” dropdown menu.

6

Give money to animals in need.

Lots of pets have been displaced because of the wildfires. The California Veterinary Medical Reserve Corps (CVMRC) have programs that help rescue animals and care for them after disaster strikes. You can visit their website to donate money and help care for animals who have been displaced from their homes.^{[7]
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- To donate to the program, visit https://cvmf.net/how-to-help/.

7

Provide meals with World Central Kitchen.

They provide food to workers and victims of the wildfire. When you make a donation, it will be used to purchase ingredients to make ready-to-eat meals that volunteers distribute to those in need. They don’t accept food donations, but you can make a monetary donation online.^{[8]
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- Make a donation by visiting https://donate.wck.org/give/236738/#!/donation/checkout.

8

Donate food to a food bank in the area.

If you live in or around California, you can donate unopened food items. Make sure you call the food bank ahead of time, as some have closed due to the wildfires. Many people have been displaced because of the fires, and they don’t have access to fresh food. Your donations can save a hungry family and help put food on the table.^{[9]
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- For a list of food banks in California, visit https://www.cdss.ca.gov/food-banks.

9

Provide a shelter for those in need with Airbnb.

If you have extra space, you can house victims of the wildfire. Even if you don’t have an account with Airbnb, you can sign up for their Open Homes program to provide shelter for families.^{[10]
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Direct Relief
Humanitarian Aid Organization
Expert Interview. 10 December 2018.} You might also house essential workers who have traveled to help control the wildfires.^{[11]
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- To sign up for Open Homes, visit https://www.airbnb.org/get-involved?locale=en.

10

Check out specific stories on GoFundMe.

You can donate to families directly via GoFundMe.^{[12]
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Direct Relief
Humanitarian Aid Organization
Expert Interview. 10 December 2018.} On this website, families write about their experiences and ask for a specific amount of money to pay for shelter, food, and medical supplies. Keep in mind that not all stories on GoFundMe have been checked for authenticity, so it’s up to you to decide which ones are legitimate.^{[13]
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Trustworthy Source
Consumer Reports
Nonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testing
Go to source}^{[14]
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Expert Source

Direct Relief
Humanitarian Aid Organization
Expert Interview. 10 December 2018.}
- You can also check out GiveForward.

Expert Q&A

Question

How can we help after wildfires?

Direct Relief
Humanitarian Aid Organization
Direct Relief is an award-winning humanitarian aid organization, active in all 50 states and more than 80 countries. They focus on helping people affected by emergencies and natural disasters. Direct Relief has been highly rated by Charity Navigator, GuideStar, and the Center for High Impact Philanthropy at University of Pennsylvania, for their effectiveness, efficiency, and transparency.

Direct Relief

Humanitarian Aid Organization

Expert Answer

One way is to support a local organization or an organization you know is responding. Another amazing option is to support individuals in the affected community through the internet. As always, though, always check if you're really donating to someone and not to a scam.
Question

Is it better to donate money or goods?

Direct Relief
Humanitarian Aid Organization
Direct Relief is an award-winning humanitarian aid organization, active in all 50 states and more than 80 countries. They focus on helping people affected by emergencies and natural disasters. Direct Relief has been highly rated by Charity Navigator, GuideStar, and the Center for High Impact Philanthropy at University of Pennsylvania, for their effectiveness, efficiency, and transparency.

Direct Relief

Humanitarian Aid Organization

Expert Answer

Money is usually better, since it can always be turned into something useful. The only problem with donating goods is you’re potentially donating things people don’t need.