By Jennifer Berry | Grants Associate
Only eight months have passed since the Hill and Woolsey fires burned across Ventura County and neighboring communities, and recovery work is ongoing for local residents and organizations. Due to the remarkable response of individual and organizational donors, the Sudden and Urgent Needs Fund was able to quickly receive and disburse more than $4 million in support of recovery for those affected by these natural disasters.
Eight months after the fires, in many ways we remain within the short-term recovery phase. Many residents who lost their homes have been able to settle into stable, albeit temporary housing while the longer work continues, or has only just begun, of repairing and rebuilding homes. Local emergency and human services organizations experienced a surge in demand; the Sudden & Urgent Needs Effort was instrumental in enabling recipient organizations to meet immediate needs while continuing to provide their usual services in a sustainable way.
The Sudden and Urgent Needs Effort remains active in accepting contributions and disbursing funds. These funds are available for material and operational support, infrastructure, and staffing support to organizations in service to the overall health, wellbeing, and recovery of wildfire victims. With profound gratitude, we recognize everyone who has contributed to the Hill & Woolsey Fire Sudden and Urgent Needs Effort, playing a vital role in helping our neighbors recover from their losses and injuries.
To hear more about Ventura County Community Foundation’s role in regional disaster relief, check out this July 2019 interview with VCCF Executive Director Vanessa Bechtel and Rob McCoy, mayor of Thousand Oaks: Watch Here
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