WASHINGTON–(PRNewswire)–AARP Foundation unveiled the grant recipients of its fundraising campaign for the victims of the California wildfires. With matching funds from AARP and AARP Foundation, the grants will provide $1.2 million to help people impacted by the fires’ destruction.
“When a disaster strikes, few are more vulnerable than older adults,” said Lisa Marsh Ryerson, president, AARP Foundation. “We are grateful to all who contributed so generously to our relief fund, which will help older adults to recover and rebuild.”
The grants will be given to organizations offering direct aid and legal services, such as FEMA application submissions, that help older adults who survived the wildfires. Grantees also include organizations that provide relief to veterans and developmentally disabled adults.
Grantees of AARP Foundation’s California wildfire relief fund include:
- North Valley Community Foundation
- Legal Services of Northern California
- United Way of Northern California
- Community Action Agency of Butte County
- California Vocations, Inc.
- Chico Veterans Resource Center
- Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles
- Ventura County Community Foundation
- California Community Foundation
The 2018 California wildfires have long-lasting effects on their respective communities. In Northern California, the state’s deadliest wildfire on record — the Camp Fire — destroyed more than 10,300 buildings and displaced more than 52,000 people. The Woolsey Fire, in Southern California, forced more than 200,000 to evacuate and left hundreds of buildings in ruins.