California is on fire. As we continue to battle a global pandemic and unrelenting violent acts of racism, these fires are not only devastating to our environment, they’re devastating our communities. The Women’s Foundation California is dedicated to meeting the needs of this moment, and the California fires are no exception.
We’re facing this head on and know that each of these issues are not happening in isolation. Our Relief and Resilience Fund is grounded in an intersectional approach to address the racial, economic, and gender disparities only exacerbated by this disaster. Supporting those most at risk including cisgender, trans women and gender nonconforming people, families living in poverty, people of color, elders, undocumented individuals, differently abled people, and those affected by gender-based violence, we’re protecting all of us.
By building resilient communities, we can create real structural changes in California. WFC is committed to investing in creative interventions and solutions to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. This month, we increased our support to women and women of color led organizations providing direct relief in response to these fires and creating environmental justice policy for the future.
These Rapid Response Grants from our Relief and Resilience Fund will provide $20,000 to 9 organizations throughout the state totaling $180,000. The following organizations are:
- 805 UndocuFund
- Asian Pacific Environmental Network
- Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment
- Communities for a Better Environment
- Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County
- Environmental Health Coalition
- My Puente
- People Organizing to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights
- UndocuFund Sonoma
Disaster relief is about more than just responding; it’s about preparing for the future. Join us as we support gender-responsive recovery in the disaster.