Spokane faith communities rally to support Southern California wildfire victims
News Story by Cassy Benefield | FāVS News
With southern California still on fire with more fires forecasted due to high winds and dry conditions, Spokane faith communities are encouraging their members to help.
“No organization can do everything, but as faith-based organizations, we should do something,” said Patty Marsh, Upper Columbia Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (UCC) Community Services/Disaster Relief liaison.
The embers of the two deadly wildfires that ignited on Jan. 7 – Palisades and Eaton – have so far killed at least 27 people and destroyed at least 15,000 structures, displacing hundreds of thousands of people.
As of early Tuesday morning (Jan. 21) San Diego County had at least three fires break out, triggered by Santa Ana winds and dry conditions. This prompted evacuations and school closures in that area and placed both counties on high alert with forecasted winds of 50 to 80 mph.
Faith leaders and Spokane faith communities are largely pointing their people and those interested in helping the relief efforts to their denomination’s national or regional disaster response teams. What follows is a list of some of those efforts.
If you would like to add your community’s initiative to the list, please email [email protected].
Upper Columbia Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists
Adventist Community Services (ACS) is actively responding to the crisis by offering shelter support, essential supplies (water, blankets, cots and prepackaged food items to evacuees), gift card distribution, etc.
UCC officials said the best way their members can help is through cash donations to ACS, which gives the organization the flexibility to meet changing needs.
Donations for the Southern California fire response can be made through the North American Division Adventist Community Services website at: news.uccsda.org/giveacs125 or to the Southern California Conference at: news.uccsda.org/sscgive125.
Episcopal Diocese of Spokane
The Episcopal Diocese is asking their congregations to donate to a local fund that will be forwarded to help with the fire relief efforts in southern California.
“We will be soliciting donations for fire relief! It is a hard time in California for sure,” said the Bishop Gretchen Rehberg who leads the Diocese.
A button on their website’s homepage directs people to their Disaster Relief Fund, where folks can give online.
Donations can also be sent to the diocesan office: The Episcopal Diocese of Spokane, 245 E. 13th Ave., Spokane, WA 99202. Be sure to mark the donation “disaster relief.”
The Foursquare Church
There are 15 Foursquare churches in the region, including Life Center and Summit in Spokane and other churches in Cheney, Nine Mile Falls, Airway Heights and Post Falls, Idaho.
These church leaders are sending local members to the denomination’s national Disaster Relief ministry, where they can donate online to specific disasters. Churches are asked to share with their congregations this ministry and are given ways to pray for all those involved in the fires.
“This is a long haul effort, but Jesus is a long haul God,” said Mark Slomka, Foursquare Church’s Western District supervisor in a video about the denomination’s response to the fires.
Catholic Diocese of Spokane
In an email to their members, the Catholic Diocese of Spokane asked readers to commit to pray for those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires. The congregants were encouraged to do so via Hail Mary, Rosary, Daily Mass and/or Holy Hour.
Nationally, Catholic Charities USA hosts the fund where people can give to fire relief efforts. Donors will find information on how to give online on their homepage. They said 100% of these donations will support wildfire relief efforts.
Spokane Buddhist Temple
The Buddhist Temple in the Perry District on Spokane’s South Hill is pointing their members and others interested to help their sister church, Pasadena Buddhist Temple, by donating to PBT Eaton Sangha Support Fund.
That temple was threatened by the Eaton wildfire in Pasadena, but survived the fire. Many of their members cannot say the same about their houses.
“Here at the Pasadena Buddhist Temple, we are still standing, smoky and charred, but some of our members’ homes were not so lucky,” they wrote on their campaign’s fundraising page. “The Eaton fire is still not contained, but for now, the fire seems to be moving away from the temple. We … are sad to report that several members have lost either their home or business or are evacuated.”
The fund has surpassed its original goal of $20,000, but it will remain open until Feb. 14. All the money raised will provide emergency assistance to temple members who have suffered losses due to the fire.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church tends to work on a regional basis to help those in affected by natural disasters who live within their region. All support for the victims of the California fires, however, are currently being handled by the central offices in Salt Lake City.
LDS members in the Inland Northwest who want to help are being directed to give funds to their Church’s Humanitarian Aid Fund. They are also encouraged to give fast offerings for all involved.
“It’s such a heavy time. I fasted today for the victims. I have friends in the area, who are thankfully safe,” said Jennifer Hicks, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
According to LDS officials, all of the missionaries and Church members are reported safe. And the Pacific Palisades chapel was spared.
“We believe in following the Savior’s admonition to ‘love thy neighbor as thyself’ (Matthew 22:39). Trucks of supplies and essentials have been and will continue to be delivered to those in need,” Elder Hal C. Hunsaker, Area Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
He also directed people to contribute to the fires through JustServe.org, a service provided by the Church that connects helpers of all faiths and no faith to those in need in locations experiencing disaster.
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
None of the the Greek Orthodox parishes in Southern California have been directly affected by the wildfires so far. However, the Rev. Daniel Triant, presiding priest of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Spokane, said there are many parishioners and hundreds of thousands more in the communities who have been.
“The devastation is pretty unfathomable and the long journey to recover from this is only just beginning,” Triant said in an email to his congregation. “I was grateful to hear from several of our sister parishes in the area about how they’ve mobilized to give aid to those in need.”
As a starting place to help, he suggested people send money directly to the region to meet some immediate needs on the ground through St. Sophia Cathedral in Los Angeles. The church opened its doors as a designated Relief Center to provide much-needed support to those affected, as well as to the firefighters, law enforcement and first responders.
He also encouraged his readers to pray, ending the newsletter with “A Prayer for Deliverance from Fire.”
It begins with “O Lord our God, keep our cities and every city and land from the ravages of fire and ruinous wind.”
It ends with “Amen.”
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