With the full effects of the Thomas Fire’s devastation still emerging, the Ventura County Community Foundation (VCCF) has awarded a $500,000 grant to a community-based partnership providing relief and recovery support to undocumented immigrants.

The 805 UndocuFund is a partnership among Mixteco/ Indigenous Community Organizing Project (MICOP), Central Coast United for a Sustainable Economy (CA– USE), and Future Leaders of America (FLA). These grassroots organizations based in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties have a solid reputation, strong track record, and are familiar to and trusted by undocumented and mixed status households, said Vanessa Bechtel, CEO of the Ventura County Community Foundation.

To administer the 805 UndocuFund, the McCune Foundation and the Weingart Foundation provided grants for case management and leadership support. The Ventura County Community Foundation is providing fundraising and fund administrative support. The Santa Barbara Foundation and the Roy and Patricia Disney Family Foundation provided additional support for overhead costs.

With this latest grant from VCCF, total funds raised for the 805 UndocuFund reached just over $1.2 million. Now with only $30,000 remaining to be distributed, an additional $500,000 is necessary to assist qualified individuals already on a waiting list.

The 805 UndocuFund partnership is seeking volunteers to interview affected families and to help victims fill out eligibility paperwork, process applications and other functions. A volunteer application is online at bit.ly/undoc.

An estimated 126,000 undocumented immigrants live and work in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Undocumented immigrants predominantly work in sectors that have been or will be hard hit, including service, hospitality, child and elder care, day labor, and agriculture. Many have lost wages in the weeks following the Thomas Fire

The fund will assist individuals and families who have lost their homes, wages, or employment due to the Thomas Fire. Some of the costs associated with living expenses may include, but are not limited to, temporary housing, home repairs, rent and groceries.

CA– USE is a nonprofit community organization that works to advance social, economic and environmental justice for the people of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties through policy research, leadership development, organizing and advocacy.

Since the December 4 start of the Thomas Fire, VCCF has secured more than $2.8 million in contributions for support of relief and recovery efforts and has made grants totaling $2.15 million to nonprofit organizations engaged in front-line relief efforts. Currently, VCCF holds approximately $600,000 dedicated for mid- to long-term relief strategies in its Community Disaster Fund.

VCCF invests the charitable capital that drives the philanthropic engines of Ventura County. The foundation was established in 1987 and endeavors to build philanthropy in the region and to give generously for the well-being of all in Ventura County. VCCF invests in the future through scholarships, grant making and collaborative partnerships. For more information or to donate, visit www.vccf.org.

On Sunday, July 22, Emily Barany, co-founder of ThomasFireHelp.org was honored by the Democratic Club of Ventura County. Emily was presented with the “2018 Outstanding Entrepreneur Award” in recognition of her business acumen and her leadership in developing ThomasFireHelp.org.

Emily is the owner of Visionality, a business consultancy that has supported the work of nonprofit organizations in the region since 2011.

In the immediate hours after the Thomas Fire began in December 2017, ThomasFireHelp.org was born as Emily’s fourth and perhaps most impactful venture. The online platform that began as a scrappy “Craigslist” of recovery has become a meaningful leader in recovery efforts for survivors of the not only the Thomas Fire, but the Montecito Mudslide and Holiday Fire.

Today, Emily and the ThomasFireHelp.org team is working with Greg Monterrosa of Hub 101 at California Lutheran University to incubate her fifth company. Emily Barany said, “Our new company will be a global tech platform that revolutionizes the way communities recover from disaster.” She continued, “It is recognition from organizations like the Democratic Club of Ventura that prove to me that I am on the right path.”

“At its core, the Democratic Club of Ventura is a group of individuals who make a difference together. Through grassroots activism, we strengthen our voice and build relationships that help achieve our goals, “ said Diana Sparagna, President of the Democratic Club of Ventura. “We are excited to recognize Emily Barany, the founder of ThomasFireHelp.org.

The 2018 Outstanding Entrepreneur Award recognizes her life-long entrepreneurial spirit and the outstanding work she has done to cultivate a grassroots recovery campaign that has helped innumerable survivors of the devastating Thomas Fire, as well as our neighbors affected by the Montecito mudslide and Holiday fire.

In addition to the recognition of Emily’s leadership, the award also includes a cash donation to ThomasFireHelp. The award will be matched dollar for dollar by the Gene Haas Foundation. Earlier this month, the Gene Haas Foundation, recognizing the potential for the ThomasFireHelp.org model to be an international leader in disaster assistance awarded the team a $25,000 Challenge Grant. To help the ThomasFireHelp team meet the challenge visit: https://www.thomasfirehelp.org/financial-donations

Emily competed in “Dancing with our Community Stars” at Oxnard’s Salsa Festival, July 29. She danced on behalf of ThomasFireHelp.org. Every dollar donated counts as a vote for Emily and will be matched by the Gene Haas Foundation Challenge Grant. https://oxnardsalsafestival.com/dancer/emily-barany/

If you are a survivor of the Thomas Fire, Montecito Slide or Holiday Fire and need assistance or would like to offer help, visit: www.ThomasFireHelp.org.

by Jennifer Tipton

Ventura County Behavioral Health has collaborated with a long-term community mental health team called California HOPE of Ventura County, a federally funded and trained community-based counseling program created to support the community after the Thomas Fire.

H.O.P.E. is an acronym for: Helping – Outreach – Possibilities – Empowerment.

The long-term effects of a disaster on mental health come in many stages, the difficult reactions one may experience can occur months after the initial disaster. Individuals that may initially appear unaffected, might later become overwhelmed and unable to effectively cope.

Reactions to a disaster such as the Thomas Fire are emotional, behavioral, cognitive and psychological and do not manifest in any certain order at any specific time.

Family and friends can help to identify these individuals and implement active listening and validation as effective ways to help survivors cope with their loss.

California HOPE services are free and confidential with the goal of implementing effective coping skills.

Services include: Individual and group counseling for

survivors, family and friends / Assessment and referrals /

Distribution of educational materials.

Counseling goals include: Helping disaster survivors understand their current situation and reactions / Reducing stress and providing emotional support / Assisting survivors in creating a wellness and recovery plan / Promoting the use or development of coping strategies and personal resilience / Providing friends and family members with education to support those affected / Connecting survivors to other resources.

Several support groups began mid-June in Ventura, Ojai, Santa Paula and Fillmore with more anticipated. The program is long term, just as the recovery process is long term.

We at the Ventura Breeze encourage those affected by the Thomas Fire to reach out to these services as needed.

If you or someone you know needs support, please contact HOPE of Ventura County at (805) 833-9495 or [email protected] .

Designers and contractors planning to work on projects for the reconstruction of buildings damaged or destroyed by the Thomas Fire are invited to attend a public outreach presentation to learn about the building permit process, including the County’s expedited process for fire victims.

Representatives from the California State Licensing Board, Ventura County Building and Safety Department, and other County agencies will be present and available to explain, answer questions, and share information about the permitting process and how to avoid time-wasting pitfalls.

The first meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 27, In the Hall of Administration at the County Government Center, 800 S. Victoria Ave. The meeting will be in in the Lower Plaza Assembly Room, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Please RSVP at (805) 654-2795 or to [email protected].

Separate outreach meetings are being scheduled in Ojai and Upper Ojai for affected property owners to receive information on obtaining a building permit for re-building their homes. The meeting dates and locations will be announced soon, and all are welcome to attend the Ventura meeting.

The Economic Development Collaborative-Ventura County recently received contributions from the Gene Haas Foundation and Pacific Western Bank to establish a loan fund in response to the Thomas fire and subsequent mudslides. The loan program is now helping businesses at a critical time as they feel the long-term strain of recovery.

The Gene Haas Foundation quickly worked with EDC-VC to establish a $200,000 loan fund for disaster assistance lending to businesses that were affected by the disasters. The loan fund was then augmented with an additional $250,000 from Pacific Western Bank. The funds are benefiting under-capitalized and disadvantaged businesses impacted by the fire that may not qualify for commercial credit.

The loan fund has helped with the initial demand for assistance and provides a significant contribution to the vitalilty of the local retail and service economy.

Businesses located in areas declared a disaster due to the Thomas Fire whose sales were impacted by the fires can submit loan applications by contacting Clare Briglio at 805-409-9159. Loans may be up to $30,000. Larger requests will be managed under separate review processes and credit considerations. Applications will be accepted through August 31, 2018.

As a matter of both business support and lending security, EDC-VC will provide borrowers with technical assistance advisors through its Small Business Development Centers who meet regularly with borrowers to provide comprehensive assistance, to monitor their progress and bolster their ability to repay the loans and remain in business.

Additional business disaster recovery services can be found online at http://edc-vc.com/disaster-recoveryservices/ or on the “Business Recovery” link on the home page of http://venturacountyrecovers.org/. For assistance, please contact EDC-VC SBDC Services Coordinator Alondra Gaytan at (805) 409-9159.

The SBDC is funded by the SBA and provides professional business assistance at no cost to businesses. Participating businesses are required to follow a well-defined scope of work and report their economic successes. These SBA milestones are defined as job creation, increase in sales, capital investment, job retention and business start-ups.

EDC-VC is a private, nonprofit organization that serves as a business-to-government liaison to assist businesses in Ventura County by offering programs that enhance the economic vitality of the region. For more information about the Small Business Development Center and loan, manufacturing and international trade programs, contact Bruce Stenslie at 805-384-1800 ext. 24, or [email protected]. Or visit www.edc-vc.com.

Residents of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties whose homes or rentals were destroyed or severely damaged by the Thomas Fire and Montecito Debris Flow may be eligible for up to $3,000 in assistance thanks to a disaster assistance program established by the affected region’s three Realtor associations.

Beginning immediately, homeowners and renters left homeless by the debris flow and wildfire may apply for reimbursement of one month’s mortgage or rent payment or $3,000 – whichever is less – from the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors, the Ojai Valley Board of Realtors, or the Ventura County Coastal Association of Realtors.

The three local associations joined together and received a total of $650,000 from state and national Realtor housing assistance funds – enough to assist more than 200 families, said Matt Capritto, President of the Ventura County association.

Victims can download application forms at www.vcrealtors.com/community-info/thomas-fire.html, www.sbaor.org/membercenter/realtor-disaster-relief-program/ or www.ojaivalleymls.com. Applicants will need to complete an application, provide a copy of their mortgage statement or rental agreement, which both must include contact information for the lender or landlord, and proof of damage to their primary residence. Each of the three AORs will assess applications and hope to disburse all the funds within three months.

None of the funds will go to administration costs – all will be disbursed to victims, said Ojai Valley association president Sharon MaHarry.

Realtors in both counties have been helping victims since the Thomas Fire broke out on Dec. 4. The associations quickly established a public online rental portal which became the top websites to find temporary housing. And in addition, associations and individual Realtors started clothes drives so disaster victims, who lost everything, could get the necessities such as clothes and shoes.

The Realtors’ Relief Foundation, an arm of the National Association of Realtors, contributed $500,000 to the fund. The California Association of Realtors’ Housing Affordability Fund contributed the remaining $150,000.

Ventura County Library joins StoryCenter and the California State Library at the launch of the California Wildfire Story Project to educate the public on the issues of wildfire risk and prevention across California. The California Wildfire Story Project is a series of public oral history workshops.

The Ventura County Library events are at E.P. Foster Library. Join filmmakers Kevin White and Stephen Most, in viewing their recently released, Wilder Than Wild documentary film, on the issues surrounding megafires, climate change, and fire control and management policy, Friday, June 22 at 6 pm.

Participant interview sessions are Saturday, June 23 at E.P. Foster Library. To apply for interview participation, please visit: https://www.storycenter.org/ventura-fire-stories-june2018. All events are welcome to the general public and free.

The California Wildfire Story Project is part of California Listens, a multi-year program bringing story-based engagement process to libraries throughout California. The California State Library joins with StoryCenter, Ventura County Library, and public libraries in Mendocino, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, and Napa Counties as part of California Wildfire Preparedness Week.

“The stories of those affected by the mega-fires of 2017 are now an important part of California memory, and deserve to be collected and maintained as part of sustaining our awareness of how our state is coping with the intersection of climate change, environmental and land use policy, and managing the resource of our wilderness areas”stated Joe Lambert, Executive Director, StoryCenter

StoryCenter is an internationally recognized hub of story-based educational and community-centered media practices in service of social justice and social change. Best known as the founders of the Digital Storytelling movement, they work with a cross section of civic institutions in developing programs that capture the lives and experiences of ordinary citizens, and teach accessible media engagement practices to working professionals in the fields of education, health, social services, and human rights. For more information about StoryCenter, contact Joe Lambert, [email protected] or call 510-292-6513 #CalFireStoryProject