Low-income families impacted by the wildfires, who do not qualify for FEMA or other federal disaster relief, may receive grants from the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights, officials announced Monday.
CHIRLA, the largest immigrant rights organization in California, is also asking for donations to its iRelief Fund, which is the cash-assistance program funding these grants. Cash donations are being accepted immediately at www.chirla.org/donatenow/.
Every donation received will be distributed to impacted families in the form of cash-assistance to cover necessities such as rent, food, gas, transportation, among other costs.
The nonprofit is also accepting water donations — a key necessity for many of these impacted families, according to CHIRLA. Water supplies can be dropped off at CHIRLA’s headquarters, located at 2533 West 3rd St. Suite 101, Los Angeles.
Water donations will be forwarded to key assistance centers in the fire-impacted areas.
CHIRLA has gained extensive experience offering assistance such as food, cash and rental assistance to thousands of Californians during the coronavirus pandemic, personal protection equipment distribution, and recently with humanitarian aid to newly arrived immigrants, according to Angelica Salas, executive director of the organization.
“The wildfires have touched so many lives and the need for cash assistance is great, especially for those low-income families and individuals who do not qualify for federal disaster assistance programs,” Salas said in a statement. “We welcome the public’s donations to assist these families.”