California Wildfire Emergency Response

Weeks of wildfires razed communities in northern and southern California, burning close to 250,000 acres and forcing thousands to evacuate their homes in October and November, and causing over 100 fatalities. In the town of Paradise, more than 95% of structures were destroyed, including at least 14,000 homes and thousands of additional buildings, five of them schools.

IsraAID has been active in Butte County since November. Following a rapid needs assessment, it became clear that we could make a valuable impact by offering psychosocial support trainings to community leaders to provide support for displaced communities. In addition to the previous rounds of psychosocial support trainings with the Boys and Girls Club North Valley, IsraAID facilitated a series of trainings to the teachers and staff of eight different schools in the Paradise Unified School District. Workshops were also led for the Counselors of Chico State University (CSU), and Butte College to aid in their efforts to support students and community members. In February, IsraAID was invited to give the keynote speech to Enloe’s Wellness Day, organized for some 300 staff members who had lost their homes in the fire. Four different trainings were held for the health care workers of Enloe Hospital, including three art-therapy trainings (one for parents and children together), and a training for upper management.

Realizing that many of the community leaders we worked with—whether they are counselors, teachers, social workers, or health care workers—all now face a new reality in their personal lives and in their professional work, requires new and different support mechanisms. Participants were grateful for our sessions, which served not only as educational opportunity, but also as a safe space for their own process of healing and self-care practices during such a challenging time.

As one participant reflected on the training and IsraAID facilitators, “They had an engaged presence and their experiences brought perspective to our natural disaster, as they have seen the power of community healing. The hope frame, cards, and transformative drawing are all things I will use in the classroom and with family/community members affected by the fire. Thank you.” The IsraAID team is now planning a series of follow-up activities to help the communities transition from the emergency stage, and toward recovery.

More updates from the field to follow...

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