How small businesses can help

Over the past two weeks, a series of 30 wildfires have ravaged the Los Angeles metropolitan area and surrounding communities. While some of the fires are still active as of this writing, recovery work is underway to help the thousands of Californians and small businesses affected. Individuals discussed the latest updates on this partnered effort last week, along with providing guidance on how businesses across the country can help.

“I’ve been with FEMA for 20 years and I’ve been to numerous fires in California and this is probably one of the most horrific disasters I’ve been in, with probably the most homes I’ve seen destroyed by fire.”, said Robert Fenton, Jr., Regional Administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 9, which serves Arizona, California, Nevada and Hawaii the entire community, not just government at all levels, but the private, non-profit and business sectors.”

To date, more than 40,000 hectares have burned since the fires started, with 25 dead and 31 missing. In addition, more than 12,000 structures were either damaged or destroyed. Many organizations are engaging in multiple ways to support those displaced by the fire, and both the state of California and the city of Los Angeles are among the many entities that have established one-stop resource centers.

Maria Salinas, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, said at least 20 of her close family friends have lost their homes and that “some had small businesses that were taking them out of their homes ” and that the situation is “heartbreaking.”

“When you hear about Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, Altadena, all those areas have countless neighborhoods that have their Main Street and when you see those homes and those structures that have been lost, it’s the small businesses,” she said. “It’s the shops, the restaurants – a lot of them have their own local bar and nightlife – and it’s just devastating.”

To aid in the recovery, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, with support from Bank of America, has established a Small Business Relief Fund to support organizations affected by the disaster. Businesses can receive immediate needs assessment, one-on-one counseling, guidance on applying for FEMA and US Small Business Administration loans, direct grants of $5,000 to $10,000, and support from CFDI partners of The room. Individuals and businesses who want to donate to this fund can do so directly.

Businesses can also donate to the recovery directly through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) donation portal. Abby Browning, Chief of the Cal OES Office of Private Sector and NGO Coordination, said the portal allows for monetary or in-kind donations.

“If you have a bunch of mattresses that you want to donate, the portal offers liability coverage from the state of California, and then we coordinate with locals on the ground whether or not they need that help. We want to respect your donation and so we don’t want to take it if it’s not going to be used,” Browning said.

There are a number of ways businesses can help with the recovery. For example, GoFundMe has created a centralized California Fire Relief Center that houses all verified GoFundMe pages related to the fires in Southern California. The US Chamber of Commerce Foundation has also established a resource center that provides up-to-date guidance and resources to help the business community contribute effectively to response efforts. Information in the center includes NGOs that help with relief efforts.

“For companies – large, medium and small – that have employees, there’s a real opportunity, whether it’s to write a cheque, donate an in-kind service, or simply take stock and see where you can be of service. for the rebuilding process,” said Rob Glenn, Vice President of Global Resilience for the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

And if you’re not able to support the recovery effort now, but will be in the coming months, your donation is likely still needed.

“Response activities are a sprint and recovery activities are a long-distance race, so while we’re all focused on what’s happening today right in front of us, I think we also have to remember that this is going to be a journey and a process,” said Mark Smith, Executive Director of Recovery Operations for the American Red Cross.