The Kincade Fire, which burned from October 23, 2019, through November 6, 2019, was the largest of California’s 2019 wildfires. It was also the largest wildfire in Sonoma County’s history. As the Kincade Fire progressed, it burned through 77,758 acres and destroyed 374 buildings. Nearly all of Sonoma County and parts of Lake County fell under evacuation orders, leaving nearly 200,000 people in a state of crisis.
Redwood Empire Food Bank
Redwood Empire Food Bank is a nonprofit in Santa Rosa, California. Its three main initiatives are Every Child Every Day, Senior Security, and Neighborhood Hunger Network. Within each of these initiatives are multiple programs aimed at fighting food insecurity and providing aid to the vulnerable. Even though Redwood Empire Food Bank fell within a mandatory evacuation zone, it found a way to continue helping the community during the Kincade Fire.
Working Together
Random Acts Executive Assistant and Assistant HR Manager Sara Carothers wanted to do something to help the thousands of people who were forced to abandon their homes because of the Kincade Fire. During her research, she learned that first responders and Redwood Empire Food Bank were working together to get food donations to evacuees. After checking that the food bank was able to receive donations despite being in an evacuation zone, Sara reached out to Random Acts for financial support.
Feeding the Kincade Fire Victims
Thanks to your generous donations, Random Acts was able to step in and sponsor this act of kindness. Sara used Random Acts funding to buy more than $450 of shelf-stable essentials, including trail mix, nuts, beans, cereal, canned vegetables, peanut butter, soups, protein bars, tuna, and chicken. All the food was delivered directly to Redwood Empire Food Bank so that it could quickly distribute the items to evacuees in need.
If you are feeling inspired by this story, we encourage you to learn more about the ways you can support Redwood Empire Food Bank. The fire may have been contained in November 2019, but the community will be continuing to rebuild for quite some time. You can also help fight food insecurity in your own community by researching ways to give to your local food banks.