Feel Good Friday - Disaster Relief

The fires in Los Angels are still burning so we’re going to highlight another organization providing support to the impacted communities. Today, it’s Direct Relief.

Established in 1948 as the William Zimdin Foundation and headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, Direct Relief “provides appropriate and specifically requested medical resources to community-based institutions and organizations throughout the world and across the United States.”

Let’s start with the fires in California. Direct Relief has coordinated their response efforts with local and state agencies and health associations, deploying emergency response teams to deliver critically needed relief items. This includes 2.3 million N95 respirators and more than $100 million in medicines and medical supplies. This short video shows what Direct Relief is bringing to community centers in the region.

This is just one example of how Direct Relief responds to disasters around the world. Whether the event is caused by fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons, disease outbreaks or is a humanitarian crisis as a result of war, the focus is on rapid mobilization. Direct Relief responds to specific requests from local partners and coordinates with other organizations and public agencies in the affected areas to ensure the most efficient use of resources.

They also provide healthcare for vulnerable communities. This work focuses on maternal health,  tribal health, health equity and disease prevention. Direct Relief supports locally-run facilities around the world providing essential health services, as well as supporting facilities in all 50 US states. You can explore this interactive global aid map to see the distribution of humanitarian aid and their international network of healthcare partners.

Since July, 2024, the beginning of fiscal year 2025, Direct Relief has provided over $98 million in medical aid, 763,780 pounds of medicine and supplies and more than 21 million doses of medicine to people in need.

If you’d like to help Direct Relief improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty and disaster, there are many ways you can support them. Volunteer in their Santa Barbara office, make a general donation to the organization, or a specific donation to respond to the California wildfires. You can also amplify their work on social media by following Direct Relief on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn and subscribing to their YouTube channel. 

Feel Good Friday - Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation

This week a series of devastating wildfires have been burning in the Greater Los Angeles area and the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) is leading the response. Time to learn about an organization that supports these firefighters, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.

Established in 2010 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California, the mission of the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation is to “provide essential equipment, training and public outreach programs for the Los Angeles Fire Department to supplement city resources.” 

According to statistics on their website, there are “over 3,500 firefighters embedded in 106 stations throughout the city” and “the LAFD responds to an emergency call every 35 seconds, making it one of the busiest in the nation.” Right now there are over 400 firefighters from LAFD battling the Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires.

What you may not know is that approximately 97% of the city's fire budget is allocated towards personnel costs, which leaves only 3% to cover all other life-safety costs. That includes things like fire engines, gear such as gloves and rescue flashlights, and specialized equipment like thermal imaging cameras, drones, and swift-water rescue boats.

That’s where the LAFD Foundation comes in. They channel donations from private, corporate, and community partners and turn them into tangible resources to help firefighters protect the people of Los Angeles. They also use this money to fund a variety of programs that include: addressing the mental health of firefighters; training and deploying canine therapy dogs to critical incidents; an adopt-a-fire-station program that makes improvements at individual stations; and youth programs that “offer students the opportunity to learn about a career in the fire service through engaging task-driven activities where they develop skills in leadership, teamwork, and overall confidence.”

Since 2018, the LAFD Foundation has provided over $25 million to LAFD to fund programs and  fire station grant requests. They have recently issued an Emergency Funding Alert to provide crews fighting the current wildfires with emergency fire shelters, hydration backpacks and wild land brush tools. You can help by making a donation in response to this alert.

Other ways to support the LAFD Foundation include shopping for LAFD swag, donating to the Adopt-a-fire-station program and spreading the word on social media. Follow the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation on Facebook and Instagram.

Feel Good Friday - Save Our Water

I’ve been enjoying the recent rain in the Bay Area, but we’re still expecting drier than normal conditions in California this winter, which is why today’s Feel Good Friday is focusing on Save our Water.

Created in 2009 by the Association of California Water Agencies and the California Department of Water Resources, Save Our Water is “a statewide program aimed at helping Californians to reduce everyday water use through conservation ideas, inspiration and tips.”

 

According to this article, “the California Department of Water Resources estimates we need 140 percent of average precipitation to get our reservoir storage back to where it needs to be.” That’s why taking steps to conserve water is so important. Luckily, the Save Our Water website is full of resources.

 

Tips are divided into three categories: around the house, around the yard and save our trees. You won’t be surprised to read that fixing leaks, installing high-efficiency toilets, and taking shorter showers can save water, but did you know turning off the water when you’re brushing your teeth can save 10 gallons per person per day??

For those of you with yards, planting water-wise, California-native plants and drought resistant trees can help. Using a broom instead of a hose to clean outdoor areas can save 8-18 gallons of water every minute! And if your yard has trees, keep watering them. “It will take more water, time, and money to replace a mature tree lost to drought than to keep it alive.”

 

In addition to the tips you can find at the above links, there is also a resource page with more links to useful water-related resources, partnering agencies, and supporting organizations. If you’re feeling especially inspired, you can visit the toolkit and download social media posts, logos and videos to share.

 

The best way for you to support Save Our Water is to help spread the word about the site and their resources so more people can learn how to up their water conservation game. Like the Save Our Water Facebook pageand follow them on Twitter and Instagram @saveourwater.

 

 

 

Feel Good Friday - La Clinica

Many people prioritize their health in the new year which inspired me to highlight my neighborhood community health center, La Clinica, in today's Feel Good Friday.

La Clinica de La Raza, more commonly referred to as La Clinica, was founded in 1971 with the mission "to improve the quality of life of the diverse communities we serve by providing culturally appropriate, high quality, and accessible health care for all."

In it's early days, La Clinica was a free clinic run by volunteers "to provide greater health care access in the Latino community located in the East Bay Area of California." Today, La Clinca has expanded to 35 sites in 6 cities across Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano counties. Click here for a full list of locations.

Their services include those you would expect: medical, dental, vision, prenatal and postnatal care, health and nutrition education and pharmacy services to name a few. There are also more unique programs targeted to the communities in which they work.

Project New Start provides gang-related youth with tattoo removal, mentoring and social support services to help them take the first steps towards escaping gang life. De Colores is program "mobilizing young gay, bisexual men and trans women of color in the East Bay Area, ages 17-29, to shape a safer and healthier community." Community Health Education programs include youth peer education, day laborer outreach and support groups for Latina women living with HIV.

In 2017, La Clinica served 87,000 patients, 95% of whom are low-income. If you'd like to help La Clinica with their mission of health care for all, you can volunteer, donate and spread the word about the work they do by liking their Facebook page following them on Twitter @La_Clinica_

Feel Good Friday - International Sanctuary

I learned about today's Feel Good Friday organization, International Sanctuary, because a coworker volunteers there and just came back from a trip to India. Here's what you need to know.

International Sanctuary, or iSanctuary, is an organization that "empowers young women rescued from human trafficking through education, income, health care, and community." Founded in 2007 by Stephanie Pollaro, "iSanctuary has served hundreds of young women in Mumbai, India and Orange County, California." Mumbai has one of Asia's largest red light districts and Orange County is a major stop on the trafficking circuit.

The problem of human trafficking is explained with some shocking statistics from the iSanctuary website: 45.8 million people are enslaved in the world today, 80% are women and over 50% are children. Every country, including the United States, is affected by this $32 billion a year industry.

The mission of iSanctuary "is to empower people escaping human trafficking to embrace their true identity and worth." The vision is to have 10 new sanctuaries worldwide by 2020 and funds are currently being raised for a location in Uganda.

The existing sanctuaries in Mumbai and Orange County are the next step for survivors after they are rescued and their basic needs such as shelter, food and clothing are met. iSanctuary provides medical and dental care, education, counseling, life skills training, micro loans and financial training, university scholarships, job training and employment! Since inception, iSanctuary has served over 300 women and girls and enabled them to create better lives for themselves and their children.

Watch this 2:09 minute introductory video to see the women whose lives are being changed and, if you like what you see, support the work of iSanctuary by volunteering your time, donating your money or shopping for Purpose Jewelry, made by survivors.

Liking the International Sanctuary Facebook page and following them on Twitter @isanctuary are great ways to stay in the loop and share the work being done to combat human trafficking.