photo cred: Karl Weinreich

Processing.

That’s what my mind is still doing. It’s been 2 weeks since the CampFire began in Paradise, Ca. And it’s something that I can barely wrap my head around. As of today (11/20/18), these are the stats:

• 151,373 acres burned
• 17,148 structures destroyed (including homes)
• 52,000 people evacuated 
• 4,665 personnel working to contain the fire
• 70 percent contained
• 79 fatalities confirmed

What these numbers don’t convey is the number of people feeling distressed, the number of people separated from family members and their animals, the number of questions – Is my home standing? Will I rebuild? Where should I live? What role does FEMA play in all of this? What if I don’t have renters insurance? How long will we live in smoke? How much will my homeowner’s insurance cover? How do I comfort my children? Where will they go to school? – and the list of questions and concerns goes on.

It took one day to turn our community upside down and to be frank, I’m not sure how to process it.

photo cred: Karl Weinreich

I’m not looking for pity for myself. The smoke is bad, but there are remedies for that. I have a roof over my head, clothes on my back, food in my belly, and a place to call home. I have peace of mind that my every day as it has been, can continue in a familiar routine.

Although I’m living in the same environment as people who were directly affected, and in some ways, I am affected as well, but the piece of this devastation that throws me is how do I continue with my “normal” every day knowing there are so many who cannot?

It doesn’t feel right.

I won’t lie to you. It’s easy to get back into a routine. Even when a new normal is putting on a mask to avoid the smoke. These past two weeks I’ve worked on client projects, went to the gym as I usually would, watched my shows, did laundry – all typical things that consume my daily routine. But during the in-betweens of these moments, I feel sick to my stomach. 

I know first hand that there are a lot of ways to help during this time, but beyond donating, it’s very overwhelming, and in some cases not clear. On a couple of occasions, I’ve spent time calling around and looking at how to volunteer at the animal shelters come to find there are over 4000 applicants waiting for their application to be approved. What? We’re in a state of emergency, I want to hold, pet, walk and tell each of those animals that are displaced that they will be okay. I want to help now. 

photo cred: Karl Weinreich

So, then the next best immediate option is donating. So, we went to Costco and added a full cart of pillows, blankets, socks, thermals, dog food, toiletries into our cart and then dropped them off at an evacuation center in Chico. I understand this is helpful to those who have nothing, and I’m happy to contribute over and over in this manner, but now that it’s done, what’s next? It just doesn’t feel like enough.

I know the road to recovery for the community is long. I keep reading in news articles and hearing personnel say “this is not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” A phrase I use often with my marketing clients now has a whole different meaning. 

I really don’t have a major takeaway from this post. It’s not a how-to, tip or wisdom I’m sharing, but something I’m thinking about, and possibly, if you’re in the midst of a similar situation, something that’s on your mind as well. 

As I continue to figure out how else I can make an impact and help those in my community, I do want to share with you the many ways you can help.

How you can help:

(Please check their Facebook pages for real-time updates about their immediate needs.)

North Valley Community Foundation – Their Camp Fire Relief Fund is supporting many community organizations serving evacuees and first responders. 
Butte Humane Society – They are a local animal shelter based in Chico, Ca. They have an Amazon Wishlist that you can order from and have shipped directly to their facility.

North Valley Animal Disaster Group –They’re assisting in sheltering and evacuation of animals at the Chico Airport. Currently only accepting monetary donations. Click here to donate.

Drink Beer. No, really. Look for Sierra Nevada’s beer “Resilience Butte County Proud IPA” at your local brewer.  100 percent of sales will be going to Camp Fire relief. In addition, we are also asking every brewery in America to brew Resilience and do the same. Check this list of breweries onboard to serve and donate.

Buy a shirt to support. Fifth Sun, an apparel company in Chico has created shirts that you can buy where 100% of the proceeds are donated to the victims of the fire. Click here to purchase.

Purchase prints. Morgan Chantelle Photography is selling prints of two photos that she took of the now destroyed Honey Run Covered Bridge. All of the proceeds of the prints will go directly to victims of the fire. Click here to order.

I’ll continue to update this list as I hear about great causes.