Statement on Response to U.S. Wildfires

Wild fires have torn through California and Oregon over the past few weeks, leaving a devastating trail of damage in their wake. Families have fled the fires, lost their homes and evacuated to other communities. Poor air quality and unsafe conditions have forced school and community meal providers to adapt their already-stretched operations in entirely new ways. Some school districts have had to keep food and nutrition staff at home, meaning kids are cut off from the meals they need.

In addition to our ongoing work to help feed kids across California, Share Our Strength will provide a $25,000 grant to the Central California Food Bank and a $25,000 grant to Redwood Empire Food Bank. These funds will help the food bank buy and distribute food and water to families affected by the Creek Fire and wild fires in Sonoma County.

We are working with the Oregon Department of Education and Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon to see how we can help school districts impacted by the wild fires, and are considering grants to local organizations providing emergency food assistance.

We are closely monitoring the situation and working with officials, schools, and community organizations in California and Oregon to identify the best ways we can continue to support their recovery efforts. We’ve learned from previous disaster recovery efforts that the weeks and months after the disaster present the most critical opportunity for support, both financial and otherwise. Many of the communities impacted by these fires are areas where No Kid Hungry has been working closely with local partners for years, and we will stay in close touch with leaders on the ground to ensure they have the resources they need to feed kids and families.

Our hearts go out to all who have been affected by these crippling wild fires.