Updated: 11/19/2018 | 2:20 p.m.
Resources for those affected by the fires:
- [email protected] is an email address monitored by our clergy and staff dedicated to matching people in need with people who can help. This includes but is not limited to housing and evacuation assistance.
- Jewish Federation of Los Angeles is working hard to centralize and coordinate the Jewish community’s response.
- Jewish Family Services is currently offering support to victims
- Jewish Free Loan is providing financial assistance as needed
- Mental Health Support: If you are affected by the Woolsey or Hill fires, the Thousand Oaks mass shooting, or both, you can call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs” to 66746 for emotional support and resources.
- Missing Pets: During the ongoing events of the Woolsey Fire, L.A. County Animal Care and Control provided emergency sheltering to more than 800 animals. If you are searching for a missing pet, please call 661-940-4191.
- FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams:
- Helping direct those impacted by the recent wildfires to sources of assistance and help them register for disaster aid with FEMA.
- Team members will be wearing FEMA attire and carry FEMA photo identification (ID). If the photo ID is not displayed, residents are encouraged to ask to see it.
- Residents do not have to wait until they meet with a FEMA teams to register with FEMA or request disability-related accommodations assistance. Residents and business owners who sustained losses in recent fires can begin applying for aid now by registering online at www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 / 1-800-462-7585 TTY. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 4 a.m.-7 p.m. PST, seven days a week.
Ways to Help:
- Jewish Federation of Los Angeles: providing assistance via monetary donations (donate through a mailbox that will be up and running by tomorrow mid-day)
- Congregation Or Ami in Calabasas was directly affected by the fires, experiencing smoke damage. Several congregants have lost homes. They have set up a donation fund to help those in need (select “Fire Response Fund” from the dropdown on their donation page.
- LAFD Foundation: support for the first responders fighting the fires via monetary donations
- A GoFundMe campaign and a pop-up shop have been established by Wise Member Tori Praver to help victims of the wildfires in Malibu, raising and now exceeding the $100,000 goal. All funds will go towards provinding clothes and essentials for families who have lost everything.
- Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation: providing shelter and food for animals via vehicle and monetary donations
- Salvation Army California Wildfire Relief Fund: providing shelter, food and assistance via monetary donations
- Los Angeles County Fire Department Foundation: disaster relief via monetary donations
- California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund: providing medical, mental and financial assistance via monetary donations
- California Fire Foundation: delivering short term financial assistance to victims via monetary donations
- Caring Choices: non-profit turned into a hub for organizing volunteers to help those affected by the campfire
- Enloe Medical Center: accepting donations for patients and families who have been displaced
- North Valley Community Foundation: raising money to support organizations that are sheltering evacuees of the Camp Fire
- GoFundMe: organized a page that catalogs the relief efforts in Northern and Southern California
- Google: collecting donations to help those affected by the wildfires and will funnel the donations to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, which will distribute the money to local nonprofits.
Gently Used Item Drive:
- We will be collecting gently used items to help fire victims get back on their feet. Items include men, women, and children’s clothing and kid/baby gear including backpacks, diapers, high chairs, toys (new or like new), blankets, formula (unopened), hygiene products, strollers, swings, etc. For questions please contact Jennifer Smith at [email protected].
How to talk with kids or grandkids:
- Via the Los Angeles Times: How to talk to kids about the fires
- This is a very helpful article by Wise congregant Dr. Sivan Sakai about the violence in Pittsburgh — many of the same principles apply when addressing the topic of these destructive fires with children.
Shelters:
As of 11/12/18 at 11:15 a.m.
- Taft Charter High School – 5461 Winnetka Ave., Woodland Hills, CA 91364
- Pierce College – 7100 El Rancho Dr., Woodland Hills, CA 91371 (Entrance off Desoto Ave.)
- Canoga Park High School
- Palisades Charter High School
Animal Shelters:
As of 11/12/18 at 1 p.m.
*Animals in crates are accepted at all Red Cross shelters EXCEPT Palisades Charter*
Shelter Locations At capacity? Yes/No
- Pierce College (small animals only)
- Hanson Dam
- Borchard Community Center (Accepting small animals ONLY)
- AV Fairgrounds (Ample space for large animals)
- Taft High School (Accepting small pets ONLY, with or without crates)
