AHAH Monthly Program Update - California Wildfires (January 2022)

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE RELIEF UPDATE JANUARY 2022

TOTAL PROGRAM IMPACT

6,224 92 11 534 12

LIVES IMPACTED VOLUNTEERS FUEL BREAK ACRES CLEARED HAZARD TREES FELLED HOME REBUILDS & REPAIRS

Current Activities

We wrapped up the first phase of our California Wildfire Relief Program in mid December 2021 and have committed to continuing our support for the communities affected by the 2018 Camp Fire through 2022. In the final month of the program, our team was hard at work installing siding, windows, flooring, doors, trim, cabinetry, painting and completing finish work to bring comfort and security back to those who lost their homes. In partnership with Hope Crisis Response Network (HCRN) and Habitat for Humanity, we completed eleven home rebuilds in Paradise and nearby Magalia.

Our team will be returning to Paradise in March to support those affected by the devastating wildfire. We will continue rebuilding homes and resume mitigation activities like chainsaw work to create fuel breaks and remove hazard trees, as well as other environmental and home hardening modifications.

Community Spotlight

"All Hands and Hearts has been a great partner in Paradise as we collectively look to help people keep fire safe. They have a great staff and volunteers who do great work in the community, dropping dead trees that are still a danger 2.5 years after the Camp Fire destroyed our town. Paradise Alliance Church has been able to expand into other communities locally affected by fire-dropping trees since we know that Paradise is in the caring and capable hands of AHAH!" - Steve Bolin, Director of Disaster Relief, Paradise Alliance Church.

Photos: (Top) Repairs on the home of the Hill family: (top left) wrapping the exterior of the home creating an air and moisture barrier to increase the homes efficiency; (top middle) siding and painting completes the exterior repairs; (top right) interior rebuild begins on the kitchen. (Bottom) Volunteer working on a home.

allhandsandhearts.org

Disaster Profile The wildfire season in California has increased in size eightfold since the 1970s, and the annual burned area has grown by nearly 500%. The climate crisis is considered one of the key drivers of this trend, with high temperatures and droughts causing dry vegetation and dead trees, which are more susceptible to severe wildfires. One of the deadliest and most damaging wildfires in California’s history was the 2018 Camp Fire, which incinerated the town of Paradise and swaths of surrounding foothill communities in a single day. Driven by winds, this wildfire continued to rage for two weeks and spread further into Butte County. Three years after the Camp Fire, only about 400 of the 14,000 homes destroyed have been rebuilt, and the community remains at risk from future wildfire destruction.

Our Work All Hands and Hearts launched a wildfire program in Paradise in February 2021. Alongside local partners, our initial focus was on wildfire mitigation projects, such as creating fuel breaks by felling and removing trees for protection against future wildfires, and hazard tree removal on private properties to help homeowners prepare for rebuilding. A core component was our sawyer training curriculum, which has helped to build capacity in our organization by improving skill, safety and efficiency in chainsaw operations.

From August through December 2021, we worked alongside local partners to rebuild eleven homes destroyed by the 2018 Camp Fire. We have committed to support communities affected by the wildfire through 2022, with the goal of continuing to run this critical program year-round.

Photos: (top) Volunteers siding a home, (bottom) Volunteers preparing the materials for interior rebuild

About All Hands and Hearts We effectively and efficiently address the immediate and long-term needs of communities impacted by natural disasters.

We communicate directly with local leaders and community members and then deploy our unique model of engaging volunteers to enable direct impact, helping to build safer, more resilient schools, homes and infrastructure.

Our Partners

We have earned a 4-star rating by Charity Navigator for the seventh year in a row. This year only seven percent of rated nonprofits received this distinction for financial and operational efficiency.

info@allhandsandhearts.org