At this juncture it’s hard to know how to best help our neighbors and friends who have lost everything in the recent Marshall Fire. For starters here is a good article written by someone who lost their home in California a few years ago. It gives a good overview on how to directly support someone you know who has lost their home.
Here are some ways to help out now:
- Donate money. Insurance hasn’t kicked in yet and the immediate needs are daunting. To help you can donate directly to a specific family, contribute to a “Go Fund Me” campaign or contribute to a larger organization such as Community Foundation Boulder County.
- Provide Long Term Housing – This will be one of the biggest challenges going forward. To provide housing to all of the displaced households that is relatively close by and affordable. There are very few houses currently advertised so if you have a house that is underutilized please make an effort to make it available. What blesses one will bless all. Here are a few places online that are actively trying to put together the supply and the demand.
- Facebook Group Set up for the purpose
- Nextdoor page setup for support
- Instructions for other donations from Coloradogives.org
- How to donate, volunteer or assist with the Marshall Fire recovery. Boulder County is grateful for our community offering to help during the Marshall Fire response and recovery. We ask the community that ALL offers of donations, supplies and volunteer services be directed through the links below. Please DO NOT bring supplies to shelters, fire stations, police stations or other locations. Monetary donations can be made to the Boulder County Wildfire Fund managed by Community Foundation Boulder County: www.coloradogives.org To volunteer to support recovery efforts, please register at: https://coloradoresponds.communityos.org/ To donate materials, food, water, and services (discounted, free, or otherwise) register here: https://bouldercounty.wufoo.com/forms/donations/ If you would like to help provide housing in response to this disaster, Airbnb’s Open Homes Program helps connect those who have been displaced with willing hosts in the area. They are accepting new host sign-ups at https://www.airbnb.com/
