Grow The Love: Global Community Support for Chelan Fire Victims
If you have tuned into the news recently, you know what I do: the Pacific Northwest is on fire.
Heralded as an unprecedented wild disaster and a national emergency, this summer's terrifying blazes spark, detour, explode and converge at the whim of the dry summer wind. Firefighters have been working around the clock, joined now by the National Guard, Army, International aid and, for the first time in Washington state history, official civilian volunteers.
There, at the center of this anonymous terror, there are communities: agricultural hubs, pristine tourist destinations, and homesteaders working raw land. I hail from one of these magical places.
I am a grown child of Lake Chelan.
When you grow up in place like my hometown, you grow up knowing that you live and love alongside the risk of wildfire. There is a local vigilance; people generally have fire hoses and a list of "most-valuables" in case of evacuation. They maintain greenbelts around their homes as best they can in the crisp high desert.
But sometimes, the might of mother nature trumps all. On August 14th, five lightning bolts reached down to touch the mountaintops, literally surrounding my hometown with flames. What came next was mayhem: power, landlines, cell phones, and water pumps failed as infrastructure dissolved into ash. Homes and businesses were overtaken almost immediately, whole families fleeing. Many evacuated toward somewhere safer, only to have another fire rush toward their perceived safe-place, forcing them to run again. Within days, over 100 structures had burned, 32 of those confirmed residences.
The North Central Washington fires (Chelan Complex, Okanogan Complex and many smaller fires) now make up the largest burn in Washington State history, burning more than 400 square miles to date, with winter's snow as the only definitive end in sight. Homes lost now number over 250--statistics are still shaky and divided by county. Community members have leapt into action to support one another. Within days, collections had surfaced for those who had lost everything. The safest homes began taking in groups of evacuees and ragged evacuees began cooking meals for even rougher firefighters.
As a Chelan native living in the SF Bay Area, my heart both bloomed and broke as I watched my familial motley crew through social media, giving each other everything they had, just surviving together. As I started to brainstorm ways to be of service, I realized: there are a veritable army of us traversing the world, grown children of Lake Chelan, longing to be with our families in our home community in such tragic times. As the fires raged, we reached out to each other to wail, to worry, and to pool our sparse information. Now, as some of our families begin to return home, and others wonder how they will rebuild, we are banding together to garner resources and assistance from our larger global communities.
Thank you for your time, and for joining me to support the people who made me who I am.
All my heart,
Murial
F.A.Q.
How can I help?
My social bubble is saturated with humans in need--but yours is likely brimming with folks who are homed and safe. By inviting your greater social networks into this conversation, you are helping me to disperse a heavy burden for few into a featherlight load for many! If you are touched by our posts, you can help us immensely by sharing through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
And of course, you can donate! To make that more fun, we've added heaps of grateful incentives from Chelan locals and friends! I will be posting regularly to highlight the amazing offerings we have to share.
How will these funds be used?
To ensure that all funds raised are allocated in the best possible ways, I have partnered with Give Naked (http://givenaked.org), an amazing Chelan-specific organization that is able to guarantee that 100% of donations reach those who need them. They exist under the 501c3 umbrella of Chelan Valley Hope, which means all donations are tax deductible. The donations will be used in two distinct ways. Some community members who have experienced profound loss will need immediate help. Many others will not know the extent of their loss for some time. Families and individuals can apply to Chelan Valley Hope for funds as they assess their needs. Chelan Valley Hope serves alongside and co-communicates with other local aid organizations, to ensure optimal resourcing and to prevent fraud. Questions about allocation of funds can be directed to CherylAnn at Give Naked: http://givenaked.org/get-in-touch/
Who the heck are you?
My name is Murial Barkley-Aylmer and I am a birth and postpartum doula living in Oakland, California. I was raised in Chelan, Washington and my parents still live in the tiny cabin where I was raised. They lost property and an outbuilding in this fire, but our home was saved by the heroism of our guerrilla firefighting neighbors. <3
None of these funds are going to me. All donations will move directly from Indiegogo to Give Naked/Chelan Valley Hope.