Red Cross seeks community support for wildfire relief
Financial gifts encouraged over donated goods
–As the local Red Cross chapter continues to provide relief to dozens of residents affected by wildfires, the organization wants to inform the community of the best ways to support the relief operation.
“We are overwhelmed with the generosity of the community and are so grateful for all the offers of donations,” said Red Cross Executive Director Kimberly Coley, “But each disaster is unique and so are the needs of its victims. The best and quickest way to support our current relief operation is through a financial gift.”
The current focus of the Red Cross is on the immediate needs of the residents which include shelter, food, and comfort. It takes time and money to store, sort, clean and distribute donated items, which diverts limited time and resources away from helping those most affected. In contrast, financial donations can be accessed quickly and put to use right away to directly help and support those affected.
Before collecting or dropping off donations of food, clothing or household items, please call our public information line at (805) 272-0029 to see if these items are needed. On some occasions, the Red Cross will accept donations, except for homemade food, at our shelters.
How to give
You can help people affected by disasters like California Wildfires and countless other crises by making a donation to support Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to, and help people recover from disasters big and small.
Call, click, or text to give: visit redcross.org, call 1-800 RED CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
If you would still like to donate goods, at this time the Red Cross is accepting cases of water and pre-packaged snacks at our two shelter locations:
San Marcos High School, 4750 Hollister Avenue, Santa Barbara, CA 93110
Minami Community Center, 600 W. Enos Dr., Santa Maria, CA 93458.
All other donated goods can be sent to partners at the following local Salvation Army locations:
4849 Hollister Ave., Santa Barbara, CA 93111
423 Chapala St., Santa Barbara, Ca 93101
How to volunteer
Trained Red Cross volunteers are currently staffing shelters and supporting residents. As the disaster continues to evolve, the Red Cross will assess how community volunteers can best support the operation.
Learn more about becoming a registered Red Cross volunteer or sign up today at redcross.org/volunteer.
Follow the local Red Cross on Twitter and Facebook for additional updates, or visit the website at redcross.org/centralcalifornia.
About the American Red Cross Central California Region
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. The American Red Cross Central California Region provides services to the ten counties across Central California that is home to more than 4 million people. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org.
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