Support Americares Response to the California Wildfires

Americares is responding to the multiple wildfires devastating Los Angeles, charring more than 37,700 acres. Americares is focused on meeting the health needs in communities affected by the Los Angeles wildfire crisis.

Fueled by record Santa Ana winds, the fires destroyed over 16,000 structures, including homes, schools and businesses, and forced more than 150,000 residents to evacuate.  During and after the fires, both air and water contained health risks. Debris particles and toxic ash in the air were especially dangerous for individuals with respiratory conditions and officials also warned that fire damage to reservoirs and pumps had compromised water infrastructure in some areas urging residents to avoid drinking or cooking with tap water for weeks after the fire.

To ease survivors’ stress and help local nonprofit organizations meet the urgent needs of their low-income patients, Americares is providing $1 million in direct cash assistance in the form of gift cards. Through our partners we have delivered cash assistance to more than 970 low income families or individuals. Americares also provided emergency funding to expand mobile health services in the region, making no-cost care and medicine accessible in low-income, wild-fire affected communities, and is providing emergency funding to support organizations addressing the mental health of first responders and other frontline workers.

Our team continues to provide hygiene kits, medicine, N95 masks and other critically needed relief supplies for wildfire survivors throughout southern California. Americares has delivered more than 10,000 masks, and worked with a partner to deliver five truckloads of water to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank for distribution to area residents.

We know that immediate access to primary health services, including mental health support, along with medicines and medical supplies, will save lives and restore health. Our priority is ensuring that health care providers have the resources they need to continue delivering care in this time of crisis. By supporting clinics on the front lines, we’re helping to protect the health of communities facing the devastating impacts of these fires.

It’s your generosity that makes these response efforts possible. Please consider making a donation today!

Your donation helps fuel Americares immediate and ongoing response efforts when disaster strikes. Together, we can reach survivors, deliver lifesaving aid and help people rebuild their lives.

*Donations to Americares California Wildfire Relief Fund will support our response to this emergency. Should Americares raise funds in excess of what's needed to respond to this particular crisis, the funds will be redirected to where the need is greatest.