Breitenbush Staff Relief Fund
Donation protected
At 9 PM Monday, September 7th, the Breitenbush staff evacuated all guests due to a rapidly approaching wildfire. The staff evacuated an hour later, some driving through tunnels of flame as the fire tore through neighboring communities. Everyone got out safely, but it was traumatic and in one fell swoop our Community lost their homes, employment and most of their possessions. We will be updating this page with community stories in the days ahead, so please come back and visit us often here.
Our beloved firefighters’ efforts were heroic, but there are about 75 displaced adults and children who have lost their homes, jobs and possessions. Ten community homes burned to the ground. It is far too dangerous for community members to return to their homes any time soon; trees are falling, rocks are tumbling, there may even be flash floods.These are simple wooden homes that will likely serve as interim shelters for the countless displaced critters. When the community can finally return to collect their worldly possessions, few will be salvageable. Please take a moment to breathe in this expansive loss.
In response to this crisis, we formed The Breitenbush Community Support Team, opened a bank account, established a Go Fund Me page and the donations have been pouring in. We are grateful, but we continue to need more financial support, so we’ve increased our goal to $75,000. One of our families has a four year old and a baby due around Winter Solstice. Another has a toddler and their home burned to the ground. We have created a Needs Assessment Form and our three-person team will be reviewing these forms together next Sunday (masked and outside) to determine what is needed and how we can help. Through virtual meetings, the community has stated that they do not want to distribute the funds equally, but rather based on need. Next week, as soon as our funds are released, we can offer immediate support, but we also want to save some for later emergencies, when this crisis is publicly forgotten but is still a reality for our friends.
We are also offering support by connecting community members with jobs, housing, and work trade opportunities. If you know of any such offerings, please put these in the comments below, with a way to contact you.
Thank you for offering your love through open hearts, ears and wallets. We love serving you! It will be at least a year before Breitenbush can open again. The money raised on this Go Fund Me Page will help Breitenbush Staff get back on their feet in the interim.
We can’t wait to welcome you back for a much needed soak and sauna. We look forward to feeding and nurturing you once again….and hopefully Covid won’t be as much of an issue then.
With Gratitude and Love,
The Breitenbush Community Support Team
Lizzie Barry
Nikki Wiseman
Stacy Anne Murphy
Our beloved firefighters’ efforts were heroic, but there are about 75 displaced adults and children who have lost their homes, jobs and possessions. Ten community homes burned to the ground. It is far too dangerous for community members to return to their homes any time soon; trees are falling, rocks are tumbling, there may even be flash floods.These are simple wooden homes that will likely serve as interim shelters for the countless displaced critters. When the community can finally return to collect their worldly possessions, few will be salvageable. Please take a moment to breathe in this expansive loss.
In response to this crisis, we formed The Breitenbush Community Support Team, opened a bank account, established a Go Fund Me page and the donations have been pouring in. We are grateful, but we continue to need more financial support, so we’ve increased our goal to $75,000. One of our families has a four year old and a baby due around Winter Solstice. Another has a toddler and their home burned to the ground. We have created a Needs Assessment Form and our three-person team will be reviewing these forms together next Sunday (masked and outside) to determine what is needed and how we can help. Through virtual meetings, the community has stated that they do not want to distribute the funds equally, but rather based on need. Next week, as soon as our funds are released, we can offer immediate support, but we also want to save some for later emergencies, when this crisis is publicly forgotten but is still a reality for our friends.
We are also offering support by connecting community members with jobs, housing, and work trade opportunities. If you know of any such offerings, please put these in the comments below, with a way to contact you.
Thank you for offering your love through open hearts, ears and wallets. We love serving you! It will be at least a year before Breitenbush can open again. The money raised on this Go Fund Me Page will help Breitenbush Staff get back on their feet in the interim.
We can’t wait to welcome you back for a much needed soak and sauna. We look forward to feeding and nurturing you once again….and hopefully Covid won’t be as much of an issue then.
With Gratitude and Love,
The Breitenbush Community Support Team
Lizzie Barry
Nikki Wiseman
Stacy Anne Murphy
Organizer and beneficiary
Breitenbush Community Support Team
Organizer
Detroit, OR
Stacy Anne Murphy
Beneficiary
