helping the victims of the california wildfires

the wildfires that have devastated huge parts of california have left a catastrophic impact on communities and lives across the state. thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes, many of which have been damaged beyond repair, and at least 50 people are reported dead. firefighters are still battling the flames. 

main images courtesy of twitter, and tony handy/LAFD

in response to the tragedy, the biggest technology companies are pledging donations and lending their resources to the relief effort. tim cook of apple tweeted that the tech giant will contribute to relief efforts for the northern and southern parts of the state. in addition to facebook activating its safety check feature, the social media company has committed to donating $250,000 to the american red cross to help families recover and rebuild, will match another $500,000, and donate $10,000 to the humane society to aid in pet evacuations and displaced animals. google is continually updating its crisis map to pinpoint fire boundaries, has pledged to donate $500,000, and will match donations by users of the platform. airbnb has activated its open homes program — a platform to provide free temporary housing to people displaced by the disaster. hosts in these areas can provide housing to evacuees and emergency relief workers from now through november 29, 2018.

 airbnb activates its open homes program to provide free temporary housing

meanwhile, in a newsletter from james perse, the los angeles-based fashion designer announced that people can support the relief effort by purchasing ‘woolsey fire’ and ‘thousand oaks’ relief t-shirts. 100% of the profits from the sale of the tees will go to non-profit organizations that support families directly affected by these tragedies, including california fire foundation and direct relief. the offering of exclusive designs to aid those facing these difficult circumstances is something we hope to see more of from the creative community at large.

people can support the relief effort by purchasing ‘woolsey fire’ and ‘thousand oaks’ relief t-shirts by james perse

there are many ways you can help support the recovery efforts. californiavolunteers has published a list of charitable organizations for those who wish to contribute to the woolsey fire and the camp fire relief efforts. 

Praying for the safety of our neighbors, loved ones and all those affected by the rapidly spreading fires in California. We’re grateful to the firefighters and first responders working to keep everyone safe. Apple is donating to relief efforts for Northern & Southern California.

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) November 9, 2018