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How to Help the Fire Victims

Benefits, donations, volunteer… Here’s what you can do to help the North Bay fire victims
By - posted 10/13/2017 No Comment

Here’s just a few of the ways how you can help the victims of the tragic North Bay fires and how you can help the region recover. We hope you consider volunteering, donating and attending one of the many benefits.

This is by no means an exhaustive list – Funcheap focuses mainly on events, but we’re doing our best to compile resources in a rapidly-changing environment. Things can change quickly, so always check the information below and remember there are lots of smaller organizations that need your help that we may not have listed below.

The Best Site to Check – If you’d like to volunteer or donate goods, here’s the most comprehensive up-to-date spreadsheet we’ve found where you can view volunteer positions and see what donations are most needed and lots of resources for evacuees. We’ve found this to be the best list of resources and we’ve highlighted some of their suggestions below.

Open Your Home to Evacuees

Airbnb Open Homes – Join the community of hosts who are donating their homes and providing emergency shelter to people affected by hurricanes, forest fires, flooding, and other disasters. All fees are waived for hosts and for evacuees.

Where to Donate/Volunteer:

If you can donate goods, the items in highest demand are tents, air mattresses, pillows, phone chargers, animal crates, diapers, baby strollers, water, propane, first aid kits, coloring books, etc… Please note, they have an overflowing amount of used adult clothes, so those are not currently needed. Children clothes are always welcome.

  • Crossing the Jordan – Volunteers are needed at the Distribution Center at Crossing the Jordan (2 West 3rd Street in Santa Rosa) to help get all of the goods out to the shelters in need.

MONETARY DONATIONS NEEDED:

Free Resources for Evacuees

Here’s a list of resources we’ve seen on Facebook – with the date that this information was updated. Please note that this information may/may not be up to date so we encourage you to call/check with the organizations below first.

FREE FOOD / WATER:
• Amy’s Drive Thru in Rohnert Park: offering free meals to those evacuated. If you choose to pay for a evacuees meal, 100% of that money will be donated to help in the aids effort. (10/10/17 3:30pm)
• Nopalito (10/10/17): offering free burritos from 11 am-3 pm(1905 Bodega Ave)
• McGuires is offering free food
• Mystic Theatre/McNears (10/10/17): Serving Breakfast 9-11, Serving lunch-soup and sandwiches from 12-3 pm; serving dinner from 5-8 pm. They can deliver or make meals to go. Contact them directly at 707-765-2121
• Sauced BBQ Restaurant (10/10/17): Serving free food from 9 am-4 pm, offering a place to rest and view TV
• Sweet Zone (10/10/17): Offering free gelato
• Quinua Restaurant (10/10/17): Offering free lunch
• Lagunitas, Tap Room (10/10/17): Giving away free water; bring containers and they will fill them
• Amy’s in RP is offering FREE food today – limited menu. All money donated there will be given to families in need.
• The Drawing Board (10/10/17): Offering food delivery to those in need, plus a special menu for firefighters and victims.

FREE WIFI / COMPUTERS:
• Comcast (10/10/17) FREE Internet/Comcast/Xfinity: Removed restrictions and opened their WiFi hotspots for all to use through Fri. 10/13 Log in as “Guest”.
• Copperfield’s Books Petaluma: Free WiFi, allows dogs, water, stickers & crayons for children
• Mystic Theatre/McNears/The Roaring Donkey (10/10/17): Offering laptops for fire victims to use if they need to get a hold of their financial institutions or family. Ask for Sierra Bradley.
• Roaring Donkey has laptops set up and wifi and chargers for people, as needed.

FREE HEALTH / WELLNESS:
• Petaluma Swim Center (10/10/17): Offering showers 8:30-10:30 am and 3:00-5:30 pm today. (Soap, Shampoo and Towels provided)
• Synergy Health Club (10/10/17): Offering free showers plus towels to those in need. Also a place to relax with couches and TV.

FREE CLOTHING / ENTERTAINMENT:

  • Rebounderz- Free place for children under 8 years old to play, free WiFi. 555 Rohnert Park Expressway West, Rohnert Park. 1pm-8pm (10/13)
  • Adventure Recreation – 2200 Petaluma Blvd. N. 10 am-3:30 pm. Children under 2 are $5, children over 2 $10, but will be flexible for those that don’t have money. 2200 Petaluma North in Petaluma outlets next to Saks Off 5th store. http://www.skillmeetswill.com/
  • Redwood Empire Gymnastics: 11am-4pm – Free play for up to two hours. Kids of all ages. Please sign in and out so the owners know how many are in the building. 434 Payton Street, Petaluma (10/13)
  • Petaluma Bowling Alley (10/10/17): Offering a free space to hang out and free games.
  • Copperfield’s Books Petaluma: Free WiFi, allows dogs, and provides water, stickers & crayons for children
  • Yoga Hell: Free yoga classes & showers
  • Exploratorium, SF (free through 10/15): https://www.facebook.com/exploratorium/
  • California Academy of Sciences (free through 10/15 for North Bay residents): https://www.facebook.com/calacademy/
  • SF Zoo (through 10/15 for evacuees/shelter residents): https://www.facebook.com/sanfranzoo/
  • Monterey Bay Aquarium (free through 10/22, see facebook for more details/proof of residence required): https://www.facebook.com/montereybayaquarium/

PETS / ANIMAL BOARDING:
Dickson Ranch in Woodacre is taking horses: ATTN FIRE EVACUEES! We can help – If you need to evacuate! Call (415)488-0454 or call Call Leah Jane Oberfelder if you are in St Helena/ Calistoga area! 415-272-4110
• Petaluma Animal Shelter (10/10/17) – Snuggle Shuttle @ Petaluma Community Center at Luchessi Park (707-778-7387) Offering pet food, water, boarding, and lost and found pet information.
• Strong’s Second Chance Ranch (10/10/17): Offering to home horses; can message on Facebook
• Chanslor Ranch – Bodega Bay, Offering free beds and campsite. Kid and pet friendly. (707)875-2721
• Sonoma Humane Society – 5345 Highway 12 West, Santa Rosa. Taking in animals for boarding, lost & found animals. No cost vet treatment for burn victims, owned or stray animals affected by fires. Open 8 am-5 pm daily.
• Unleashed Dog Training for boarding and if you need a place to hang. Call at 707.763.9882
• Marin Humane Society offering free boarding
• Misc animal issues: Anyone encountering animal related issues can call 707-565-4406. This number will be available 24/7 until further notice. Donations can also be made through this line. Please be prepared to share information about the number of animals, type of animals, address and location for the animals, and any information about the families associated with the animals, if known.
• Adding: Better Homes and Gardens in Sebastopol will give you a cup of coffee and WiFi and you can charge your phone. 186 Main st Sebastopol. Come on over. #Tubbsfire #Sonomafire #SantaRosa #RohnertPark #Emergencyinfo”

If you can’t volunteer your time or donate goods, there’s still ways to help. There’s a number of fun fire relief benefits around the Bay Area. 

Fire Relief Benefits:

North Bay Fire Relief – Sunday, October 15, 6-10 pm at Jackalope (1092 Post St., SF): Get a drink and be sure to tip well. All tips from the evening will be donated to the Redwood Empire Food Bank and the Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund. Plus, they’ll be collecting donations and raffling off prizes as well.

Wine Country Fire Benefit Fundraiser at Barbarossa – Thursday, October 19, 8 pm-2 am at Barbarossa Lounge (714 Montgomery St., SF): 100% of the door proceeds and a portion of the bar sales will be donated to Napa/Sonoma fire relief funds.

A Live Music Benefit for NorCal Fire Victims at Boom Boom Room – Thursday, October 19, 8 pm-2 am at Boom Boom Room (1601 Fillmore St., SF): Boogie down to a night of live music in benefit for the Napa and Sonoma Fire Victims. They’ll be accepting donations at the venue and they’ll list what types of items are needed closer to the date.

A Benefit Night to Nor Cal Fire Victims – Thursday, October 19, 10 pm-2 am at Temple Nightclub (540 Howard St., SF): 9 DJs will showcase their remixing talent for a one of a kind party with a purpose. In addition, Adapt pop up shop will be on site full of sweet Bay Area swag. Proceeds will go to help victims rebuild.

Love Supreme: A Benefit for North Bay Fire Relief – Friday, October 20, 9 pm-1:30 am at Asiento (2730 21st St., SF): This hip hop dance party will be collecting cash donations for those affected by the wildfires, plus they’ll donating a portion of the bar sales.

The Oak Town Downtown Day Party – Saturday, October 21, 3-8 pm at The Stork Club (2330 Telegraph Ave, Oakland): Come see Bay Area artists perform in many genres such as Hip Hop, R&B, comedy, poetry, and more. A portion of all proceeds from this event go to the victims of the recent Napa Valley fire.

Benefit Show for North Bay Fire Victims – Wednesday, October 25, 9 pm-2 am at EPR Life (715 Harrison St., SF): Your admission fee for this dance music night featuring tons of surprise guests will be turned into a donation for the victims of the North Bay fire.

Websites / Resources on how to Help:

  • Petaluma Volunter / Donation / Evacuee Info – Probably the most comprehensive up-to-date site with information volunteer sign-in information, active evacuation sites, pet boarding resources and tons more.
  • Nor Cal Fire Drop Off Locations – Constantly updated shared Google doc with lists of donation centers
  • 7×7 – Great list of where to donate, how to lend a hand, which grocery stores are still open in the North Bay and more.
  • SF Curbed – Donation sites in San Francisco and volunteering information
  • SF Gate – Big list of where evacuees can seek shelter, how you can help, and hotels offering special rates
  • KQED – List of where to donate and how to volunteer
  • ABC 7 – Where to donate supplies and a list of local benefits
  • San Francisco Magazine – Easy-to-read list of resources and ways to volunteer & donate
  • NBC – Lots of places were you can donate and how to volunteer
  • Eventbrite – Overview list of various sites with good information on how to help fire victims