Effective Disaster Relief: Making a Lasting Impact through Informed Giving
In the face of the unprecedented wildfire devastation Canada is grappling with, the question "How can we help?" becomes not only relevant but imperative. The scale of destruction is immense, leaving us deeply affected as we witness the reports pouring in from across the country. Families have been shattered, homes reduced to ashes, businesses obliterated – a heartbreaking litany of loss.
Yet, amid the genuine desire to offer aid, a confusion arises. High-pressure tactics from certain charities and less-than-transparent solicitations from retailers further complicate matters. For those of us fortunate enough not to be directly affected, the urge to assist often gets entangled in uncertainty. "Whom should I contribute to? How does my contribution truly assist those in dire need? How much of my donation truly reaches them?"
At GiveWise, these very questions fuel our mission. As spreaders of generosity, we face the same quandaries when it comes to our own donations. The demands on your time don’t stop to allow you to truly investigate, so our team is endeavouring to do the research for you.
Acknowledging that we don't have all the answers ourselves, we've turned to those who are literally at the heart of the disaster. Our aim is to engage with agencies seasoned in responding effectively to these calamities – those with a track record of action and impact on the ground.
GiveWise holds that effective disaster relief is a balanced approach, encompassing immediate safety, physical and emotional needs, and a forward-looking stance that includes long-term planning for support and reconstruction. We have seen this approach work very well as we assessed our involvement in response to the Fraser Valley flooding disaster of 2021. We read and watched to become informed, made phone calls to ask questions, and found a few key agencies that were contributing positive solutions, both immediate and long-lasting. The collective efforts of these agencies, who GiveWise Donors had the privilege of supporting, produced real, tangible, long-lasting help for those who truly needed it. Were we and these agencies THE answer? No, and none of us claim to be. The support came from many, both near and far, both simple and complex, and we frankly don’t trust any person or organization that claims to be THE source in times of disaster.
We're invested in enabling you to give with confidence, trusting that your contribution truly betters lives. Thus, we're introducing the GiveWise BC Wildfire Relief Fund. Our objective is to aid your desire to help while ensuring rigorous research and scrutiny. We believe that asking the right questions and receiving substantial answers are paramount.
It's worth noting that GiveWise doesn't impose any charges on the charities or agencies receiving donations. The only fees we pass on to donors are those levied by credit card processors: 2.2% + $0.30 for credit card transactions.
Here's the crucial distinction: we're not urging you to donate. By reading this, you've already demonstrated your intention to make a difference. Our role is to provide a conduit, a service through which your funds reach real people facing real challenges.
We're currently evaluating the agencies mentioned in reports and the media for immediate funding possibilities. Simultaneously, we're vigilantly tracking the emergence of long-term and reconstruction strategies.
Donate through the GiveWise Wildfire Disaster Relief Fund, and your dollars will go to agencies such as:
“As Evacuation Orders continue, The Salvation Army is onsite providing meals, beverages, snacks and Emotional and Spiritual Support as people vacate their homes and transition back into their communities in an attempt to rebuild their lives.
We provide the following: meals, water bottles, snacks, shelter, blankets, clothing from our Thrift Stores, personal items through Referral process (toothbrushes, toothpaste and diapers etc.), emotional and spiritual support.
The Salvation Army has offered urgently needed support in emergency situations for more than 125 years. Because we have Emergency Response Vehicle and Teams across the province and the entire country, we are uniquely positioned and equipped to respond quickly to crisis situations of all kinds.”
Central Okanagan Community Foodbank Society:
“Due to the increased number of BC Wildfires throughout the Interior of BC, the Central Okanagan Food Bank is expanding its support and outreach to the region by supplying emergency food for any person or household currently displaced due to fire evacuations.
Emergency food provisions are currently being made available for evacuated individuals affected by the BC Wildfires.
Financial donations are urgently needed to ensure those displaced by the fires have the nutritional support needed to get back on their feet.
Please donate to this fund and allow our neighbours one less thing to worry about.”
“As more than 50,000 British Columbia and Northwest Territories residents flee for their lives from spreading wildfires, Canadians like you are reaching out to them through Samaritan’s Purse.
We have sent 14 disaster relief specialists to British Columbia to work with the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness to set up and operate a 400-bed evacuation facility for people in the Kelowna region.
Your prayers and support are critical during this time.
“We had about three minutes to escape when the fire jumped the lake and hit our street,” said Adrienne, a Kelowna evacuee. “We are safe, but don’t know if our home survived. Many have been lost. It’s heartbreaking, but we’re trying to stay hopeful.”
We have also set up and are operating an evacuation center in Kamloops for evacuated residents of that area.
In the Northwest Territories, all 20,000 residents of Yellowknife have been forced to leave their homes because of approaching wildfires. Many of them went to Alberta and we are working with the province’s Provincial Emergency Coordination Centre to find ways to support them.”
You want to give generously. We’re here to help:
- You can donate through our Relief Fund as a Guest. If you have a Giving Fund, login and click on the Wildfire Relief Fund Graphic in the rotating images.
- If you already have a GiveWise Giving Fund but desire to give specifically to one or more of these charities, that is fantastic! You will find them in our database in your Giving Fund, and remember to type in “Wildfire relief” as your reason for giving.
- If you don’t yet have a GiveWise Giving Fund, and desire to donate directly to these charities on their specific websites, we are glad to have helped you make an informed decision. Keep in mind if you donate through a Giving Fund, you get to track your generosity, see your history, and have only one single tax receipt for all of your giving.
It seems like a daunting task by ourselves, but through our collective prayers, support and funding that positive impact can truly multiply.
With Gratitude, the GiveWise team.