Fire relief fund helps Lake County students

As the largest wildfire in California’s history continues to devastate Lake County, a lawmaker is trying to bring some relief to fire-weary children.

Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, has partnered with the Redwood Credit Union and North Coast Opportunities to raise money for students who lost homes in the recent fires. Funds from the Lake County Students Fire Relief also will help school districts provide additional social services and mental health resources, as well as facilitate “welcome back” ceremonies for students, McGuire said.

In the past four years, Lake County has been ravaged by blazes, including the more than 341,000-acre Ranch fire that isn’t expected to be fully contained until Sept. 1.

“The physical and emotional toll these massive wildland fires have had, especially on kids, can be overwhelming,” McGuire said. “We’re hearing from a lot of parents about the adverse experiences … we’re hearing about how when kids smell smoke, it triggers a series of emotions. A lot of kids in Lake County had significant trauma when they have to evacuate their home each year.”

North Coast Opportunities, a Ukiah-based nonprofit that serves Lake and Mendocino counties, is using a grant to cover administrative costs, allowing all donations to the fund to directly aid students, Chief Financial Officer Carolyn Welch said.

The fund launched Aug. 10, and by Friday afternoon had amassed about $8,000 in donations, Welch said. Her nonprofit also has a general wildfire relief fund that by Friday had about $170,000 in donations, she said.

McGuire said the student fire relief fund will be directed to the Upper Lake Unified School District, Lucerne Elementary School and the Lakeport Unified School Districts, which are expected to begin school Aug. 22 after the fires delayed their opening. About 2,700 kids attend schools in those districts, though it’s not yet clear how many have lost homes to the Mendocino Complex fires, he said.

Students will be greeted by a “welcome team” with breakfast and lunch on the first day of school, similar to the way local officials, fires responders and school staff welcomed Sonoma County students back to their campuses after the October blazes, McGuire said.

School staff will assess how many kids lost homes in the fires and help confidentially disseminate gift cards, McGuire said.

The Redwood Credit Union will contribute an unspecified amount to cover costs for the welcome events and for clothes and supplies, spokeswoman Tracy Weitzenberg said.

“We’re dedicated to helping in Lake County, and are working to identify the needs of students impacted by the fires as they prepare to go back to school,” President and CEO Brett Martinez said in a statement.

For Lakeport Unified superintendent April Leiferman, the effort is heartwarming.

“Over the years, we’ve had to pull together so many times and it’s very reassuring to have outside help,” she said.

Her district of some 1,500 students has two psychologists and each school has a counselor, she said. Money from the relief fund will be used to bolster training efforts for those existing staff, focusing on trauma and homelessness, she said.

Leiferman, who lives in Clearlake Riviera and evacuated with her twin 6-year-old grandsons, knows firsthand the impacts of fire on children.

“We finally packed up to be able to leave, and the air was that pink, creepy kind of thing,” she said. “One twin said ‘Brother, remember the last time when it was scary when we were 3?’ They’ve had to evacuate twice, and when they’re 6, they remember that.”

You can reach Staff Writer Hannah Beausang at 707-521-5214 or hannah.beausang@pressdemocrat.com.