By Alyssa Torkelson | Impact Officer
805 UndocuFund – Disaster Relief for Immigrants - 2018 - 2022 Report
The 805 UndocuFund first launched in January 2018 in response to the Thomas Fire and Montecito Mudslides. These events impacted thousands of people who lost their homes, jobs, and experienced acute and chronic injuries. 805 UndocuFund was created through a collective of grassroots organizations and individuals who believed that undocumented residents should not be excluded from emergency disaster relief. Disaster aid from the state and federal governments was a critical part of the recovery process, and yet undocumented residents — who are estimated at 10% of the population in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties — were ineligible for millions of dollars in support that were made available to everyone else.
Financial Reporting
Since its launch and through over four years of recovery from wildfires, deadly mudslides, and this yet-unceasing pandemic, 805 UndocuFund has provided over $8 million in disaster relief to more than 6,000 families. Every dollar contributed to 805 UndocuFund is granted directly to a person living in our community with critical needs. These needs include rent or rebuilding support, health care for long-term injuries or illness, childcare, food security, and help to care for vulnerable household members including both children and elders. Since its inception, 805 UndocuFund has provided direct assistance payments to more than 15,000undocumented individuals, and the need continues. With the occurrence of disasters year after year, 805 UndocuFund has successfully developed a proven, grassroots-led, culturally, and linguistically competent disaster relief model serving undocumented communities and is proud to be a model looked to by other startup UndocuFund programs not only in California, but across the United States.
The Future for 805 UndocuFund
805 UndocuFund began as a massive joint effort among immigrant-serving Central Coast organizations Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP), Central Coastal Alliance United for A Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) and Future Leaders of America. Together these organizations, alongside philanthropy partners like the McCune Foundation and the Ventura County Community Foundation, raised, case-managed, and distributed millions of dollars in direct aid to victims of the Thomas, Hill, and Woolsey wildfires; Montecito mudslides; numerous smaller wildfires that afflict the region each year; and now, the prolonged impact of COVID-19.
While 805 UndocuFund continues to operate as a collective partnership, we are excited to announce that in December 2021, 805 UndocuFund became a community based 501(c)3 governed by a volunteer board of directors made up of leaders from MICOP, CAUSE and Future Leaders of America, who provide organizational and volunteer support. The McCune Foundation provides key leadership support, and the Ventura County Community Foundation (VCCF) provides fundraising and fund administrative support. The organization is proud to mobilize resources, bring passionate community partners together, and advocate for the recovery of undocumented communities in disaster. A new Executive Director, Maria Mello, recently took over leadership of 805 UndocuFund, while several permanent, full-time program staff have been hired.
In summer 2020, when long-term recovery from multiple wildfires became overlain with pandemic response, it became clear that the demands on 805 UndocuFund stretched this incredible program to its max. After thoughtful and strategic discussions between the collaborative partners, Ventura County Community Foundation volunteered to raise funds for this transition and will continue to provide fundraising and fund administration service to support 805 UndocuFund’s program and organizational sustainability. As always, 100% of funds raised for the 805 UndocuFund program are granted directly to families in need, therefore, the fund’s director is supported through separate, dedicated funding and VCCF is not charging any administrative fees related to fund management. VCCF has also separately provided administrative funding to Future Leaders of America, with a more recent grant of $56,000 to retain three full-time case managers and provide year-end retention bonuses to staff working to distribute funding as burnout continues to be a concern.
Closing Reflections
Ventura and Santa Barbara counties have been recovering from multiple, consecutive years of record-breaking natural disasters, and the leaders and staff of 805 UndocuFund have acted heroically to provide some of our most vulnerable community members with critical, direct assistance as quickly as possible. With COVID-19 it has become clear that the past model of activation in response to individual events should be restructured in order to best serve our undocumented community members as the frequency and impact of natural disasters only intensifies. 805 UndocuFund leaders and staff will continue to work year-round to raise funds for ongoing disaster recovery for our undocumented neighbors. We invite the entire 805 UndocuFund community of supporters to celebrate its past accomplishments and to join in creating a healthy, secure future for our undocumented community members!
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