As the Pickett Fire continues to burn, our profound gratitude goes to the more than 2,000 firefighters, CAL FIRE crews, and mutual aid partners from across California working tirelessly to protect lives and homes.
At Napa Valley Community Foundation, we know disasters can strike anywhere, anytime. Our Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund has been activated repeatedly since its launch in the wake of the 2014 South Napa Earthquake, and has distributed nearly $31 million in short and long-term assistance. While we are relieved that the Pickett Fire has not yet caused damage at a level that would warrant our activating the Disaster Relief Fund, we are prepared to flip the switch, if necessary, and are paying close attention to events on the ground as they unfold.
Indeed, this moment reminds us of the importance of staying prepared and vigilant. That’s why our Disaster Relief Fund also invests in programs that prevent disasters and prepare our community, like Napa Communities Firewise Foundation, Napa Valley Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD), for example. We deeply appreciate their work, and the work of dozens of our other Disaster Relief grantees, that make our community resilient and ready…