As Tamra South fled the Camp Fire on Nov. 8, she worried about the whereabouts of her kids. The last thing she had heard from them was, “Mom, I love you.”
In her rush to get out, South didn’t grab anything. Her car was packed with people and dogs.
Evacuees from Magalia, Concow and Paradise streamed into the neighboring towns, like Chico, CA.
So did trucks and U-Hauls full of donations. Donation centers, filled with clothes, bedding, and other items, sprung up throughout Chico to help evacuees. Volunteers from throughout Northern CA came too, but oftentimes there weren’t enough to help people and sort through mountains of donations. A month after the fire, many victims are still homeless, living in shelters, cars and tents.
As she sorted through clothing for her children in one donation site, South said, “It breaks my heart that we have to go through this, but it’s touching that everyone has come through so well.”
Monetary donations are often the best way to help Camp Fire victims. Volunteers are also needed, and those who choose to donate goods should check a donation center’s list of needed items and buy goods new.
